Hood
by The Wayward Philosopher
Summary: Rurouni Kenshin with a Robin Hood-flavored twist. Kenshin's an exiled prince forced to flee to the cursed forest of Aokigahara. Kaoru's the fletcher's daughter in the nearby town of Nottingham. Together with their friends, they will lead a revolution. B/K
1. Prologue: Two Legends

_A/N: Greetings, readers, and welcome to the first chapter of Hood. Well, this is definitely much more of a prologue, and the actual chapters will be much longer, though I may not start posting for another month or so. Consider this a trailer or a teaser or something like that, except it's only kind of related to the rest of the story… eh, I'm sure you'll get it if I just let you read._

_Nothing you recognize is mine. The Night Watchman is taken most directly from the BBC's version of Robin Hood, though I've done some considerable alteration._

* * *

Prologue: Two Legends of Nottinghamshire

In all our kingdom, there is no place with quite the same veil of mystery as the quiet town of Nottinghamshire. The name itself is old, from before our forefathers settled in Meiji. Whatever tongue was spoken by those long-dead peoples who first inhabited the area named the forest next to the village as well, but this name is lost to us. Now, it is called Aokigahara by those who live in proximity to it, and the Forest of Death by those who fear its shadowy depths. These people are not always distinct from each other; indeed, it is a very rare resident of Nottingham who will walk the edges of the Forest of Death, for it is they who know best its dangers.

It is also they who know best its lore. Many tales of spirits and demons populate the region, largely meant to scare children into their beds at night, but there exist also stories of another nature. They say that in every legend there is a grain of truth to be found, if one only knows where to look. I will tell you now two tales of Aokigahara, and leave it to you to discover if there is any veracity in them.

The first tale is of a man, an ageless man, who wanders the forest eternally. They say that he is a repentant sinner, punished by his own voluntary exile into the inhospitable wilds. Though he comes face-to-face with many a beast and spirit, he is never harmed by them. How could this be, do you think? Many have speculated that the man himself is a demon, who treads paths away from humans to avoid the desire to harm them that comes of his own vile nature. Others say that he is simply too strong to be killed by such creatures as he may encounter.

Whatever the case may be, the immortal journeys always within the confines of his self-imposed cage, and is only rarely seen by those brave or foolhardy enough to wander far enough into the forest. It is said that he sometimes guides the lost back from whence they came, should they be possessed of a pure and virtuous soul. If not, he leaves them to wander, much as he does, until they have repented for their evil natures or deeds.

The second tale is not of a man, but a spirit. Called the Night Watchman by the people of Nottingham, the spirit's true name is unknown, said to be decipherable only by those who know a magic long dead in our world. What the people do remember is that this spirit is ever their vigilant guardian, and that, beginning at sunset and ending with the first traces of dawn every morning, they are safe from not only whatever might emerge from the cursed forest, but also from the dangers posed by their fellow men. Those whose doorframes are pierced with the black arrow of the Night Watchman are shunned by all others, for this is how he marks them as would-be thieves or attempted murderers, so that they might face not his judgment, but that of their fellow men. The figure of the Watchman, clothed and hooded all in black, atop a steed the color of midnight, is one feared by criminal and beast alike.

The people praise the Night Watchman because despite the fact that no other town has ever managed to survive so near to the Forest of Death, Nottinghamshire still stands. It has not always been easy for this town, but surely, there is something to be said for the fact that it remains intact even now. Perhaps the Watchman really does guard us all.

You say that this is not good enough? You suspect me of knowing more than I tell you? Well, perhaps this is true. You wish to know the "real story" do you? You should know that all stories are twisted in the telling, but… perhaps I will. I shall tell you a tale truer than any fact, more reliable than anything your eyes might see. And when I am through, mayhap you will have even learned something…

_

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_

_So, that was it. I hope you don't feel short-changed by this, but I wanted to put up something to show you that this story is actually happening, for all those who knew about my promises to this effect. Was it at all interesting, or do you want me to just take it down and post up the actual story independently? If you feel I should not write the actual story at all, I will respect this, but I can't guarantee I won't write it anyway... My first real chapter will be up no later than August 10, so keep that in mind if you are so inclined._

_~Kiku~_


	2. Chapter 1: Trust and Betrayal

_Disclaimer: If I owned either Ruroken or Robin Hood, I'd being enjoying my scads of money right now, not writing profitless fanfiction!_

_Also, since this website doesn't like it when I respond to reviews in-chapter, I've decided to just dedicate chapters to pairs of reviewers, starting with those that review most regularly. It's a lame substitute, I know, but hopefully it's something._

_So this one's for Pterion and Caseyedith. Thanks for being so awesome, you two, and I hope you like it!_

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Chapter 1: Trust and Betrayal

_Our tale begins, as so very many do, with a reluctant protagonist, a traitorous evildoer, and a call to action. Meiji Year 238 was one fraught with more than the usual amount of strife. A drought was beginning to scorch the land, made worse because the kingdom was at war with the Outlanders that once again threatened its borders. Back then, our land was known for two things: its rich iron deposits and the small but powerful military that protected them. Still, greed for the first was enough to abandon the caution made wise by the second, and raids were frequent. The king of this time grew tired of the threat to his domain, and so began the second Great Crusade, intended to thwart the invaders once and for all. This was not as easy as expected however, and the battles drew on for ten years, during which time Meiji grew politically unstable. All able-bodied men not of the royal blood were conscripted, and each served two years with the armies or until his death, whichever was first. For far too many of them, it was death._

_Just as it seemed that things could not grow worse, the king himself disappeared from the field of battle, leaving a contested throne behind. And so we start with the telling of a pivotal event, one which would turn the tide of history, perhaps more than anyone present could have imagined. _

* * *

"I don't suppose there has been any word from my lord uncle?" The voice was laced with heavy fatigue, and the words spilled out with no more thought than their source gave the air he breathed.

"No." The second voice was more controlled, but here, too, there was a weariness present that spoke of many sleepless nights in the recent past.

A wry smile twisted the first speaker's face. "It's probably asking too much to just assume that he'd come back and take care of all this himself, isn't it, Aoshi?" King Katsura had been missing for over two years now; the likelihood of his returning alive grew slimmer by the day. By now, it was probably too late.

"Aa," came the largely noncommittal reply, and the one called Aoshi resumed his work.

The two men sat on a balcony overlooking the palace gardens. Though the day was beautiful and the flowers in bloom, neither of them was inclined to notice or appreciate such things. Instead, they were poring over administrative notices from all the imperial holdings, as well as several ancillary reports from other lords, mostly on the general chaos plaguing a nation without an acting monarch. There were a few more personal letters amidst the papers as well, all addressed with respect to the crown prince, all asking, demanding or begging something.

Rifling through a few of these, the first man set aside an important note on a recent crop failure in the western provinces and glanced over a short missive in a sharp, angular hand, amber-colored eyes narrowing slightly. "Hn. Lord Takeda promises his support should the matter come to a vote. As if I didn't already know where the snake places his loyalty," he snorted, throwing the letter back onto the table before them in disgust.

The taller of the two picked it up, perused it briefly, and set it down carefully on top of an increasing stack of similar documents, shaking his head. "This does not bode well," he said simply.

"Of course it doesn't," his companion replied caustically. "Nothing about this situation 'bodes well.' If they finally decide to force a vote, either Shishio becomes king or I do. Seems hard to decide which is worse," he finished cynically, letting his eyes wander seemingly without care over the vista before them.

He was, however, completely aware of Aoshi's own light blue gaze resting steadily upon him. "I know you are reluctant to accept the title," his Second began slowly, "but I have said this before and I will say it again: you are, without question, far more suited to the job than he is."

The king's nephew worked to conceal his agitation. That had been an awfully long speech for Aoshi, and it was clear that the other man meant what he was saying. It was also most likely true. King Katsura had not named an heir despite lacking children or even a wife to rule in his stead, and so his disappearance was causing no small amount of strife. The man with the oddly-colored eyes was called the crown prince, but only because his blood relation to the current king was the closest, since he was the son of Katsura's sister. Truthfully, someone needed to be crowned soon, else the chaos would follow the soldiers to the battlefield and the small nation of Meiji would be overrun with Outlanders.

Aoshi's liege lord just didn't want it to be himself. There were any number of reasons why he was far from the ideal candidate, not the least of which was that he had no taste for the political games that others liked to play. He simply ignored the custom of phrasing everything he said as politely as possible, and had no patience for the sugar-coated promises of people who carried daggers just waiting to find one's back. This caused his closest adviser no small amount of headaches, but at least when he was at home in Loxley, the seat of his personal holdings, no one was particularly offended. His father, he was told, had been much the same way.

Deciding to just ignore the comment, he turned to Aoshi. "Leave this for a while. We will have another few days at least before the Council is called to force their vote." With that, he stood abruptly, without waiting for Aoshi to follow.

Behind him, he heard a muttered affirmative, but he knew that his Second would not leave it be quite so soon, which suited him just fine. There was one more matter he had to attend to today, and it would hopefully be a little less unpleasant.

* * *

Aoshi watched his lord leave, gaze fixed steadily on the retreating back until the man was out of sight. Though many people, perhaps reasonably, found Lord Kenshin difficult to work with, Aoshi himself suffered no such problems. Not having been raised at court, the lesser noble cared little for the lack of tact the man seemed to display, though the dark-haired Second himself was adept at blending in amongst those too cowardly to say what they thought.

No, Aoshi's concern was not with his liege's capability to be king, but his reluctance. Lord Kenshin had proven himself to be a military genius during the time the two of them had served together in King Katsura's Crusade. For Aoshi, the two years had been mandatory, as it was for any healthy male not of the royal blood. The other man, however, had taken up his sword voluntarily, and with it proven that he was powerful enough to slay most any foe, and wise enough to command others on the field.

Still, that had been three years ago now, when they were both the standard age of conscription, or seventeen summers. The years at court while King Katsura was away commanding the armies elsewhere had hardened his friend in a way Aoshi would not have thought possible. The battlefield had shown him a reality which the idealistic boy of seventeen had been shocked to discover, and it had changed him. But the political machinations of corrupt fools had done worse, transformed him into a cynic, and a bitter one at that. His reluctance to become the center of that world was understandable, if regrettable. Lord Kenshin's natural leadership was impossible to deny, even in spite of his inclinations to terseness and severity.

All the worse because of the alternative. Lord Shishio was as ruthless as he was fanatical, and almost impossible to predict. He had killed three of his own Seconds in a row, simply because he had decided they were too weak. Instead of selecting another from the ranks of heroes who had proven themselves at war, Shishio had instead chosen a mere child, and was apparently training the boy himself. Aoshi wondered idly how long it was going to take before he tired of this method and killed the young one, too. The thought of the damage such a man could do as king was something best not dwelt upon excessively, save that it was in Aoshi's careful nature to do so anyway.

The usually stoic warrior ran a hand down his face. Unstable as Shishio was, he was not without his appeal to certain sections of the nobility, particularly those who had risen to power recently, by virtue of their money and willingness to corrupt themselves as far as necessary to gain more power. The older noble houses generally favored Kenshin- if they did so without excessive enthusiasm- but there was no denying the promise of someone as untraditional as the imbalanced son of a king and a whore for those who could stomach the zealotry.

_But I suppose it is my task to ensure that this appeal is debased. _Aoshi again read through the stacks of documents. There had to be something here, something that contained the answer, something that would push people to support Kenshin with all they had. As Kenshin's Second, it was his job to act as adviser, bodyguard, spymaster, and liaison. As Kenshin's friend, he tasked himself also with doing as much as he could to ensure that the young lord met with success in his every endeavor. It was, after all, the least he could do.

He was about to reread the letter from the rather distasteful Lord Takeda when something caught his eye. Moving a small piece of paper out from underneath the rest, he read it over quickly, then again more slowly. It appeared to be from one of his contacts in the garrison. Shishio's personal host was being moved to the palace. Not so unusual, since their lord would likely be taking up residence until the vote was decided, but… _he's moving all of them? That would be very unwise, to leave his own holdings unguarded. Unless…_

Realization dawned on Aoshi, and he sprang out of his seat, not caring that he scattered several documents as he did. Grabbing those that seemed immediately the most important, he abandoned the rest, setting out at as fast a walk as could still be considered polite for the north side of the building, where he knew Kenshin was planning to be.

* * *

Kenshin wasn't nervous as he knocked on the ornate wooden door that marked the boundary between the hallway and the private chambers of his betrothed. He'd known Tomoe since they were both quite young, and though she was three years his senior, they'd practically grown up together, as was custom for children already in arranged marriages.

No, perhaps it was precisely this old familiarity, and the lack of it more recently, that made what he was about to do all the more important. The matter had to be settled, once and for all; it simply could not continue like this. Perhaps she would feel differently; he could not be certain anymore.

"Enter," called a soft voice from within. So she was alone. Usually Tomoe was one to have a servant answer the door directly, but he had told her to expect him, so perhaps she had simply sent away her staff. She cared far more for propriety than he did.

Either way, he complied, and the door gave easily to reveal chambers that were opulent in their luxuriousness. Several bookcases, most full of tomes given to the young woman by Kenshin's own mother, lined the walls of her sitting-room. The furniture was upholstered in the finest imported silks, all in the pale colors his betrothed favored, and rich carpets covered the bare stone floors. Tomoe had excellent taste, and the means to see it satisfied. To a lesser noble or a servant, this show of wealth was doubtless intended to impress and daunt in addition to the pure aesthetics. It certainly wouldn't surprise him; Tomoe was a master of political intrigue, and he'd called on her advice more than once when trying to decipher some court-speak he did not understand. Beneath all that though, she was a genuinely kind person, and had been a fixture in the early part of his life to whom he owed much.

"Tomoe," he greeted stiffly. This was not all to say that things were completely well between the two; indeed, they had been rather forced of late. Kenshin knew he was putting off the wedding, and also knew that Tomoe was in love with another.

Her answering smile was soft, if a bit disingenuous. "My lord," she returned formally. "What might I do for you?" Her stance was one of serene grace. Like her quarters, she was decorated to intimidate, in a completely different way from himself. Where Kenshin had merely to stare down a man to send chills up his spine, Tomoe radiated an air of such grace that superiority nearly leaked tangibly from her. The pale yellow brocade dress was tailored perfectly, but still modest, and her jewelry was lavish without being ostentatious. The rich dark brown hair was fashionably kept, making her face appear at once aristocratically angular and femininely soft. Such a balance was hard to achieve, though the result was impressive.

"I wish to discuss Sir Akira," he replied in the bald manner that those closest to him had come to expect. He was ever undeterred by such displays as Tomoe's, and it was one of the reasons that they had been so close. Only for a short time had he ever mooned after her in the way men were wont to do, though it was something that passed quickly enough. For the most part, it was not in his nature to be particularly impressed by the sort of fragile beauty that Tomoe cultivated, and his complete lack of tact was in a sense a reflection of this, one that she had grown to appreciate somewhat. Still, it appeared that his phrasing had been a bit much even for her; she flinched, and something in her face shifted, a slight hardening of the delicate features.

Silence reigned for a few moments while she collected her thoughts, and he waited as patiently as he could for her to speak. When she did, it was in a practiced voice, without a hint of the surprise that had slipped from behind her careful court mask. "If it is your wish to punish him, then you must know that I will not allow it. I am just as responsible as he." She looked like she was about to continue, but he shook his head and she stopped. _She really is something_, he thought absently. Even when she was attempting to defy the will of someone with a great deal more power than herself, she managed to make it sound like polite conversation.

"I do not want to punish either of you. Your obligation to me is a duty only, and I do not wish always to be a slave to duty," he replied. In truth, Kenshin knew this was far from a wise move, but if he had to accept the fact that he would be king, then he would at least rebel against the life chosen for him in this smaller way. Perhaps this was immature of him; in fact, some part of him _knew _that it was, but he'd been listening to that part for far too long.

To his surprise, it was her turn to shake her head. "I know what you're trying to do for me, and I thank you for it. But… you were right back then. We are not allowed to shirk our duty because we are above others in station. I was.. angry at you when you told me that. I wondered how it might be that someone only seventeen was pretending to be so wise to I, who had been like his older sister his entire life. But now… Akira is a good man, and I tell you honestly that I do love him." Here she stopped for a moment, and he considered it. The words certainly sounded like him; he had once been only too happy to do anything asked or required of him, and had extended this servitude even to those things which were not.

It had never been his intention to force her to the same, however. Before he could voice this particular protest, she pressed on. "It is for exactly this reason that I must fulfill my duty and marry you. Do you understand that, I wonder?" She asked speculatively, and fixed him with a questioning look.

"No, I do not," he replied flatly. What she had said was quite true; she'd been against his enlistment five years ago, enough so that his insistence on serving had driven a wedge between the previously-inseparable friends, one that still had not fully been removed, the cause for their distance now. Kenshin had been inwardly grieved at this, and so when he had returned to find that his betrothed had fallen in love with a knight, he had pretended not to notice. Now, he had come to free her to marry this knight, and she was refusing.

Tomoe's smile was genuine this time. "Of course you don't, for you do not know what it is to be in love. Perhaps, should you fall for someone someday, you will understand. I do what I do to protect the one I love." A thoughtful pause. "And to protect you, Kenshin, for I love you as well, in a way. The new king does not need a scandal like this to disrupt what will already be a tenuous reign, at least at first," she pointed out, and he had to agree that her logic was sound. Doing such an unconventional thing as releasing his betrothed from her obligations would be seen as the act of someone weak, or under the thumb of another at best, someone just as unbalanced as Shishio at worst.

_Damn. _How he hated that court could not be navigated in the same manner as a battlefield. With an inward sigh of resignation, he replied. "You are correct, of course. Please forgive me any insult. I merely wished for your happiness. It has been far too long since I bothered to consider it." He hated to admit it, but his last chance at doing something freely before he was committed to the gilded cage of a king had been denied him, and he was more than a little surprised by how easily this was done. Had he ever truly been free at all? _Of course not._

Tomoe shook her head and crossed the room, drawing him into an embrace. At one point in his life, this would have thrilled him; now it was as if they were children once more, and she was protecting him from the older noble spawn who picked on him when the adults weren't watching, jealous of his status as the king's nephew. He did not return it, but did not reject her either. He knew that he was far different from the weakling who had needed protection back then, but if that was how she still saw him, he would consider it better than the black-hearted, warlike antagonist he had seemed to her for the past few years.

They were interrupted when the door opened after a hasty knock, and the two had barely separated and turned before Aoshi nearly burst into the room, a few papers clutched in one hand. "Assassins... Shishio's assassins are coming. We need to leave. Now. He means to take the castle by force," he said without preamble.

Tomoe's hands flew to her mouth, and Kenshin narrowed his eyes to amber-gold slits, adrenaline already making its way into his system. His hand flew to the sword he carried at his waist, but Aoshi saw the motion and shook his head.

"Too many. We have no time." His eyes flicked to Tomoe, and both of the others read the latent question there.

The elegantly-dressed woman shook her head slowly. "No… if I am not here, they will know you have discovered his intent. I will stay." Kenshin was about to protest, but she silenced him with a raised hand, and his mouth clicked shut when she continued. "There is a passage in the room next to this one. It is underneath the rug, but you must hurry. Through the connecting door, go!" The last was nearly shouted, which was so out-of-character that it immediately moved Kenshin to action.

He turned, and Aoshi opened the door connecting Tomoe's quarters to the room next door. How she had known about the passage, he could not say, but perhaps it had to do with Akira. He turned before stepping through the doorway, and found that she was looking straight at him.

"You said you wanted me to be happy," she said softly. "You should know that I've already found my happiness. I hope that you find yours, too, Kenshin, and also that you find the thing for which you would be willing to give up that happiness." With those cryptic words, there was an authoritative knock on the door, and she gestured at him to hurry.

He turned his back and fled then, but the words spoken from that room echoed to his ears even as he started down the passage.

"Please, Tomoe, just tell us where he has gone!" The voice was male, and rather than authoritative, it seemed to be pleading with her.

"I cannot do that, Akira. I'm sorry." Tomoe's voice was steady, but laced with what might have been regret.

There was silence, then the same male voice spoke again, more resolved this time. "I see… very well then. I will stand with you. Men, you have your orders, directly from Lord Shishio himself. You are to cut down anyone in your way. Don't tell me that all of you are as poor at being knights as I? Come at me!"

The last sounds Kenshin heard were the clash of steel, a scream, and the sickening contact of swords with unarmored flesh.

_

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A/N: So this was up much earlier than I said. I couldn't resist. I've basically been writing this in every scintilla of spare time I can eke out, so I figured I'd share._

_If you liked the "storytelling" tone and reviewed my trailer, you have yourselves to thank for the fact that I will be including background history information and other random tidbits in that style at the beginning of every chapter, so pat yourselves on the back. If you didn't like it… well, you probably should have said so, sorry. But if there's something you don't get, ask and I might make it a topic._

_Secondly, yeah… I included Tomoe. I imagine a lot of you don't like her too much, being KK shippers, but I decided to include her and maybe Enishi, and I tried not to make her suck, because I dislike bashing characters. On the other hand, if you happen to be a fan, please do not bash me for making her and Kenshin not in love… this story needed a Maid Marian of sorts, and she just seemed logical for the role._

_Anyway, there will be no regular update schedule for this, unless I fall back into old habits, which might happen, actually._

_Also, I forget who asked, but a fletcher is someone who makes arrows. The feathers on the arrows are called "fletching."  
_

_~Kiku~_

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Reviews desired, but never required!


	3. Chapter 2: Watchman and Lawman

_A/N: Welcome to chapter 2. It's kind of an info dump, so hopefully it doesn't just confuse the crap out of anyone. I think you guys will get it though; you're all smart cookies, as far as I can tell!_

_Disclaimer: Maybe someday I will write something that people write fanfiction for. Until then, I own nothing that you recognize._

_Dedication: This one's for Daichilover and Kokoronogamu. Thanks for being such faithful readers/reviewers. You have no idea what that means to me._

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Chapter 2: Watchman and Lawman

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* * *

The year 240 began more drearily than any in remembered history. Though the Great Usurper Shishio had held his throne for two years, conditions in Meiji had not improved for the presence of a king. Indeed, if anything, they had become that much worse. The war continued, though the new monarch stayed in the capital. Without strong leadership, the army grew demoralized, made all the more bitter by what they knew to be the suffering of their families back home. Shishio was a tyrant, and taxed the people mercilessly to fund his lavish celebrations and the military's constant forays into the Outlands._

_All of this became only increasingly painful because the lean years continued. As though God himself was angry with the people of Meiji, each year saw too much rain in some places and not nearly enough in others. Farmers watched helplessly as their fields dried to dust or their crops blackened and withered from the inside, and many a man or woman went hungry so that their children might eat what scant food could be purchased at too high a cost. The small village of Nottinghamshire in the province of Loxley was no different, and it is there that we must now proceed._

* * *

Morning came slowly to Nottingham in the wintertime. The weak sun cast a pale light on the barren earth, making the grey, leafless trees of the nearby Forest of Death almost ethereal in their starkness, slicing figures against the steel-grey sky.

That same light currently streamed in through the windows of the small, two-story house belonging to Koshijiro Kamiya and his daughter Kaoru. The latter lay fast asleep on her small pallet, stuffed into a corner of a wood-floored bedroom. The only other piece of furniture in the tiny space was a wooden chest-of-drawers. A well-made bow leaned against an empty corner, and a leather quiver full of arrows- her own handiwork- lay on the ground beside it.

Kaoru rolled over in her sleep, and groaned when a shaft of brightness fell over her closed eyelids. Abruptly, her bright blue eyes snapped open, and she sat bolt upright. _Dammit!_ Practically jumping from her bed, she landed with the grace only a martial artist could muster on three-hours' sleep, and hauled open one of her drawers, tossing various articles out onto her floor without giving it much thought.

Less than two minutes later, she was shimmying into her linen breeches and boy's forest-green tunic, making sure to layer a dark grey long-sleeved cotton shirt underneath it for warmth. Trying to stay upright while pulling on her deerskin boots proved a bit too much, and she fell backward onto her blankets with a slight 'oof' before she succeeded. Scrambling once more to her feet, she raked a comb mercilessly through the raven-colored hair that fell to her waist before throwing it up into something resembling a ponytail.

She slung her bow and quiver over her shoulder before taking the stairs two at a time and entering the kitchen to find a piece of buttered bread waiting for her on the counter. A small smile played across her face before she grabbed the morsel and shoved it into her mouth, maintaining grip with her teeth while she perused the cloakstand. Ignoring the heavy black one and her father's trademark blue, she yanked a woolen brown one without a hood off its hook and threw it on as she dashed out the door.

Her father's workshop was only a short walk from the house, which lay about a mile outside of Nottingham proper, closer to the forest than most people were inclined to live for fear of their safety. Kaoru herself was sure that most of the tales the people in her village told about the place were just flights of fancy; she herself had spent many a childhood day playing on the outskirts of Aokigahara, and had even been brave enough to enter a few times. When she had not come to any harm, the young woman had made more of a habit out of it, and even occasionally earned some coin hunting there for people disinclined to enter.

The Kamiyas' main occupation and source of income, however, was her father's craft. Koshijiro Kamiya was a fletcher, and it was no boast to say that he made the best arrows in all of Meiji. He made bows, too, but fletching was what kept the business going between orders for the weapons themselves. The old king had liked his wares so much that he had even offered to move her father to the capital and put him on exclusive imperial contract, but Koshijiro had refused, saying that Nottingham was his home, and to go anywhere else wouldn't feel right.

Kaoru's breath misted in the air as her boots crunched the frosty ground beneath her feet. There were snowdrifts here and there, but the wind had blown most of it clear of her path, at least until the sky decided to open up once again and dump its contents upon them. It really was unfair, how they managed to get so much moisture in wintertime, but never when they needed to come spring or summer. She chewed her meager breakfast thoughtfully and wondered if there would be another bad year this time around. She wasn't sure the poor town could take a third drought like that, and she knew the entire kingdom must be suffering in much the same way.

She sighed, finishing her meal and licking her fingers clean of any excess crumbs. She supposed she couldn't complain. At least Koshijiro's business was decent enough to ensure that the two of them ate, though he'd had to lower prices so that people could afford his wares, which did them no favors when the sheriff came around seeking their taxes.

_Ugh… why am I thinking about __**that **__dogfaced- _she cut off the thought. It did her no good to be unnecessarily vitriolic, as her peaceable father was always reminding her. Even so, Kaoru could not help but harbor a certain amount of bitterness towards the nobility, who seemed to only take and take with no regard for how it affected anyone else. She'd heard tell of the king's legendary fetes, and even the thought of so many noble pigs rolling around in their own filth and excess was enough to made her lip curl and her stomach turn with disgust. Perhaps it hadn't always been like that, but it certainly was now, and it seemed to her that nobody was doing anything to stop it.

_Well, almost nobody anyway, _she amended mentally as she reached Koshijiro's shop at last. Though it was worrying to barely be able to scrape by as they did, Kaoru had never once resented her father for cheapening his fees while refusing to compromise the quality of his work. 'Always do only those things which you can be proud of later,' he was fond of saying.

Kaoru opened the rough wooden door to the workshop and hastily slipped inside, trying not to let too much of the cold in with her. Koshijiro was sitting at his bench beside a merrily-crackling fire, and though he must have been aware of her entrance, he did not look up from his task. She took a moment to fix the image of her father at work in her mind; it had always been her favorite pastime as a child to follow him to the little workspace and watch him, peppering him with questions all the while, until he had finally decided to teach her the rudiments of his craft. Nowadays, she assisted him regularly, since there was no way he could afford to hire help.

After a moment, he raised his head from where it was bent over the delicate occupation of affixing feathers to a wooden shaft and gave her a gentle smile. "Did you sleep well?" he asked, a hint of teasing in his voice, and she rolled her eyes playfully before shrugging off her cloak and plopping onto the bench on the opposite side of the table from him, still mindful not to scrape her finely-crafted bow on anything.

"You know I didn't," she replied tonelessly, and she was conscious of her father's searching gaze as he studied her. She knew what he was going to find: the dark circles under her eyes were prominent as ever, and her face had long ago lost any traces of healthy color, helped along by fatigue as well as the season.

He pursed his lips into a stern line, though she knew his displeasure was not directed at her. "Sometimes I wish you were not so insistent on bearing these burdens alone," he ventured. The words were familiar; the two of them had been having much the same disagreement every morning for over a year, since Kaoru had turned sixteen.

"If I don't, then who will?" she replied, and this too was practiced. There was nobody else to do what she had to do; her father was far too ill these days, and she worried for his health should he once again attempt the feats of his youth. "I'm glad to do this, you know that."

"I do," he responded with a sigh, "and I'm proud of you. But you must understand that if you work yourself too hard, there will be nobody left. You have to remember to take care of little Kaoru as well."

She couldn't help the small smile that found its way onto her face. "Little Kaoru" had been Koshijiro's nickname for her for as long as she could remember. She was truly lucky, to have a father that understood her this well. Most fathers with daughters her age were concerned only with marrying them off and all things related to it. _Her_ father allowed her to walk around in tunics and breeches, and had taught her to defend herself. While not expressly forbidden in Meiji, it did break a number of cultural conventions about the way men and women ought to behave, and Kaoru was glad of it. The last thing she wanted was to be parading around in a dress, just waiting for some man to take a shine to her. Marriage among the lower classes was rarely arranged, but she still didn't like the idea all that well, perhaps because she had never met the man who could keep up with her. She had more important things to worry about anyway.

She was brought from her musings when Koshijiro erupted into a coughing fit. Kaoru frowned, knowing that there was little she could do until it stopped. These fits were becoming increasingly frequent of late, and while she did not think her father was in any serious danger from them, it was discouraging to see him like this all the same. So rather than sit by and wait for it to pass, she made her way over to the small fire and hooked the iron pot filled with snowmelt to the hearth, watching as it was swiftly brought to a boil. She removed it carefully and transferred it to an old clay teapot, throwing in some herbs for pain as well as the tea itself.

Kaoru left the pot to steep and turned back to find her father smiling at her again, and she returned the gesture, though she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that lodged in her chest every time he had a fit. Waiting for the tea, she busied her hands by trimming the feathers Koshijiro would need to fletch the rest of the quiver he was working on. These ones, it appeared, were ordinary hunting arrows, adorned most commonly with feathers from local fowl such as ducks and turkeys. Her father would take the feathers and attach them carefully to the arrows, each of which already had a slightly-barbed head, making it harder for an animal to dislodge.

They worked in silence until the tea was done, then Kaoru added a small measure of honey to it before pouring both herself and Koshijiro cups. Her father accepted his gratefully, and they sipped at it for a time. She felt warmth spreading through her stiff limbs, and relished the feeling as her muscles loosened and her own soreness dulled under the influence of the herbs.

They passed another few hours working, the mood considerably lighter than it had been as Koshijiro's pain eased. It was about two hours from midday before either of them next spoke, preferring a companionable silence to pointless chatter.

"Practice?" Kaoru inquired at last. The hour had grown later than she realized, but her father merely nodded and followed her outside.

The air was cold, but not unbearably so, and Kaoru was able to shed her cloak before warming up. The exercise would keep her heated enough anyway. Moving first through a series of stretches designed to loosen her muscles, she flowed next into a couple of hand-to-hand attack stances, all the while watched by her father's keen eyes.

After warm up, Kaoru took up her bow and arrows and approached the standing target. About fifty meters away, she fired a few test shots, all of which found the mark easily, coming to stop in the dead center of her target. Next, her father began to shout things at random, such as 'fencepost' and 'gnarled tree' which would indicate her next shot. It was Kaoru's task to locate and shoot the targets as fast as possible, and it was only after she had successfully hit just about everything around that he changed his tone.

"Me," Koshijiro said quietly, and Kaoru's eyes widened. Without enough time to react, she merely watched as her father applied the considerable swiftness of an accomplished martial artist and sped away from her.

Kaoru had hit moving targets more times than she could count, but avoiding doing them harm was another challenge entirely. She wasn't exactly sure how her father expected her to hit him without seriously injuring him. Even the blunted arrows used for target practice were quite dangerous, and she puzzled over this task for a moment before a small smile blossomed on her countenance. _I see…_

With practiced ease, she drew her bow, and caught sight of her father's cloak, billowing behind him as he ran. She started there, firing and pinning it to one of the targets, effectively hampering his motion while he tried to divest himself of it. While Koshijiro was thus engaged, she fired two more shots, these catching his loose sleeves with a delicate precision that had never failed to win her archery contests as a child, back when she was easily disguised as a boy. One shot successfully latched her father's left arm to the target behind him, but the other was slightly misplaced, and tore through his sleeve before whizzing harmlessly to the ground behind him.

Kaoru pursed her lips and was about to fire a fourth time when her father held up his hand, and the sound of coughing drifted to her ears. _Not again!_ Koshijiro was rarely bothered by more than one or two fits a day, but it seemed the exertion may have been a bit too much, for him to have his second so soon.

She slung her bow back over her shoulder and ran to where he was pulling the arrows out of his sleeve and cloak, his tall frame still wracked with lingering shudders. Kaoru gritted her teeth, but otherwise showed no signs of her discomfiture at his condition; she knew it would only trouble him more. Giving the arrow binding his sleeve a good tug, she managed to free it from where it was lodged in the target behind him. She placed it back in her quiver, then accepted the other one from him and trotted off to retrieve the final wayward shot.

Upon her return to his side, Koshijiro placed a hand on her shoulder. "You have become quite accomplished, my dear. It's almost as though it happened while I wasn't looking." He chuckled weakly, and Kaoru smiled warmly at him.

"I _have _had quite a bit of practice," she replied. Then she hesitated. "About the rest…" she trailed off expectantly.

Her father frowned pensively. "Not today, I think. How about I just watch you at it instead?" His grin was jovial, but Kaoru's heart sank. If he wasn't up to sparring, things must be more painful for him than she had thought.

"But first," he continued, bringing her attention back to the immediate, "We'll see if you've been listening. Can you tell me about the origin and nature of ki?" Koshijiro fixed her with an expectant look, and she shook her head. He was always so… enthused about history. She herself liked it well enough, but found the application much more interesting than the lore.

"Ki is tied to the old magic," she replied dutifully. "Magic doesn't exist as such anymore, but ki is the closest thing we have. 'We' here mostly refers to the Outlanders, though, since their martial arts are the only place where the concept survives. They guard their secrets jealously, so it is rare to come upon someone in Meiji who knows how to use it."

"And what are its applications?" Her father asked, now in full-on 'teaching' mode.

"Ki is used to enhance the arts of warriors," she answered. "Mostly, it is applied to increase speed, or intimidate a foe, but ki users also heal faster and are more resilient than ordinary people."

"Can anyone use ki?"

She thought for a second; he had never explicitly stated the answer to this. "Anyone with the proper training should be able to manage it," she said slowly, "but it would seem that some people are more naturally disposed to it than others, though this could, I imagine, be overcome with enough work."

Koshijiro nodded, impressed. "Indeed, it is so. You and I are able to use ki because the style I have taught you was invented in the Outlands," he informed her, and she stilled, listening with rapt attention. This part of the tale, she had heard before, but it seemed like he was going to tell her something new today, which would most likely have to do with the time he spent in the army during the so-called first Great Crusade. Kaoru knew from the haunted look that entered her father's dark eyes every time he spoke about it that it had been anything but glorious, and he rarely talked of it at all.

"I learned the style from an Outland woman the army was keeping as a prisoner. I was assigned to guard her, and I tried to be as kind to her as possible. To this day, I know not why the army cared to keep her imprisoned, but perhaps it was for the very information she gave to me. She told me never to share it, but I somehow doubt she meant with you," he smiled here, and the awful look left him slowly. "But that's enough ancient history. Today, you will practice the hand-to-hand forms, since you seem to have forgotten your weapons." The Kasshin style, as her father called it, taught its users to adapt like water to any situation one was faced with, including the ability to use a number of different weapons, or none at all. Unfortunately, this meant that the practitioner lacked the skills that came of specialization in one weapon, but the knowledge gained by learning to use several unique types made Kaoru's defense all the better, since she understood how to attack in as many ways as possible. At its core, though, was a fluidity of movement, a quickness of step, that served well in any situation.

To supplement this, her father had taught her to use a bow and arrow, and she was truly better at this than anything else, especially since she had begun experimenting with applying ki to arrows, which tended to make them less vulnerable to errant winds and such. Kaoru was an excellent shot on her own; with ki, she rarely, if ever, missed. Privately, she referred to her style as the Kamiya Kasshin, since it was a mix of the Outland woman's teachings and her father's own knowledge.

When she had finished her forms to her father's satisfaction, the two ate a light lunch before returning to work. Kaoru busied herself with a set of arrows the smith, Toshiro, had ordered for his oldest son, just turned ten and ready to learn to shoot. Sometimes, her father would let her make entire quivers of arrows without his assistance, though he was always there if she needed advice. She was passable at it, but nothing compared to the easy mastery Koshijiro displayed.

By the time noon was three hours gone, she had completed her work for the day, which meant that it was time for deliveries. Shouldering the two quivers that Koshijiro had completed as well as the one she was done with, she waved goodbye to her father and headed back towards the house.

Behind the modest Kamiya residence was a small barn, which served as housing for their two horses. Once, they had owned about five, all of a special black breed used most often as warsteeds in the Outlands, but now they were down to two. One, as far as anyone in the village knew, but this was for practical reasons. As it was, they really didn't need more than that these days, since they no longer made deliveries to the capital, and all their customers were close enough to reach without much of a ride.

Kaoru could have walked the mile or so to town without any difficulty, but riding would save her some time, so that she might get an early dinner and perhaps a nap before night fell. She quickly brushed down and saddled Naomi, the aging mare who she used for trips into town. Affixing the quivers to the saddle, she read the notes her father had left with the invoices and groaned aloud. The first was fine: Kamatari the tavern-keeper was a little strange, but Kaoru rather liked him. He had apparently ordered a set of hunting arrows, doubtless in need of them to keep the inn supplied with meat, since it was getting far too expensive to just buy lately.

The second slip, however, indicated that the other quiver was to go to Dogface himself. The sheriff had seemingly ordered these personally, which meant she had to deliver them personally too, not just shove them off on the first overworked deputy she saw like she did when he ordered them for the constabulary as a whole.

Trying not to sigh in exasperation, Kaoru adjusted her cloak before leading Naomi outside and swinging astride the elderly horse. The ride was comfortable and well-paced; though old, Naomi was still a warhorse, after all, and was trained to keep up a good march. When they reached town a few minutes later, Kaoru's jaw tightened. It seemed like every time she saw it, Nottingham looked a little more decrepit. There were shingles falling off all but the most affluent roofs, and the children that ran about in the dirt streets looked thinner than was strictly healthy.

The visit to Toshiro's was brief and businesslike; Kaoru was fairly certain most of the villagers weren't really sure how to treat a woman that ran about dressed as a man, but for the most part they kept their mouths shut about it while she was around, probably out of respect for her father. She knew, of course, that the women talked when she wasn't there; the men generally just shook their heads in bewilderment. It had bothered her once, but then her father had asked her very practically if she would rather he buy her dresses. The notion had seemed so repulsive to her eleven-year-old self that she had never again let it get to her all that much. What need had she to live up to anyone's standards, after all?

She considered stopping at Kamatari's on her way to the constabulary; it was, after all, only a short detour from where she was now. Given her rather overwhelming distaste for the latter destination, though, she decided she'd rather get the worst part over with next. So she steered Naomi towards the center of town, noting that while there was nothing terribly amiss, the buildings seemed to get a little more worn-down each day, and the people walking in the street wore hard expressions, far removed from the smiles and greetings she remembered from her childhood.

The constabulary itself, home of the currently unoccupied town military garrison as well as the jail and the sheriff's office, stood on one side of the square all by itself. The large open space before it, once home to markets, was now overlooked by a newly-constructed gallows and a few stockades. A frown temporarily marred Kaoru's neutral expression as she fought memories of the first hanging in Nottinghamshire in over fifty years. Just last month, a vagrant with the ill fortune to wander into the town on the same night a rare crime was committed had met the end of the noose that now swung empty in the slight breeze. There had been no good evidence against him, just a drunken woman with a chip on her shoulder, but Kaoru was discovering with increasing frustration that this didn't seem to matter anymore, if it ever had. The man was an Outlander, and this had been enough to convict him.

She shook her head to clear it of the image of the dangling, emaciated figure and returned intentionally to the present. The sheriff had ordered a set of finely-made stealth arrows, lighter than those used for hunting but nearly noiseless. Frankly, she was suspicious that he even wanted them, but as her father was constantly reminding her, they would not refuse to sell to someone on prejudice alone.

The office was attached to the prison, and Kaoru had to cast about for someplace to tie Naomi before she was able to walk up to the door. _Funny, _she mused, _how such a plain-looking door can make me feel so uneasy. _She knew, of course, that it was what lay inside that caused her stomach to turn, but all the same when she raised her hand to knock she did so quickly, immediately retracting her hand as though burned after rapping twice.

A hassled-looking deputy opened the door. The man was in his early twenties, and had come with the sheriff to Nottingham when Shishio had assigned Dogface here personally. Apparently, the town was in a territory that had formerly belonged to an enemy of the king. Kaoru knew enough to say that Nottinghamshire was within the province of Loxley, and that the lords of the area had never really bothered them with ill-thought-out laws or unnecessary taxes, but her own dislike of nobility generally kept her from caring to know more than that.

Upon seeing her, the deputy's face broke into a wide smile, and he gestured her inside. "Why hello there, Miss Kaoru. For a moment there, I was afraid you were Mrs. Yoshida back about the taxes." His expression was clearly one of relief, and Kaoru cringed inwardly. Despite the fact that she hated the unfair tariffs, she could not help but feel sympathy for this man, called Tadachi, who seemed friendly enough despite working under a tyrant like Dogface, and Mrs. Yoshida _was _rather frightening when she was angry.

"Well, she _does _have six children to feed, you know," Kaoru pointed out pragmatically. He nodded amicably in response, scruffy brown hair falling over his eyes, causing him to push it back with irritation and smile sheepishly at her.

"You're right of course," the deputy replied diplomatically. "I just wish she would realize that there's nothing we can do. The law's the law." He sighed, then his expression brightened again, indicative of his seemingly unquenchable enthusiasm. "But you didn't come here to hear me complain, did you, Miss Kaoru?"

Kaoru felt the corner of her mouth lift slightly. "I'm afraid not. I have a delivery here for Do- er, Mr. Saito." She'd really have to stop using that nickname even in her head. Tadachi didn't seem to notice, though his face appeared to fall slightly.

"The boss is in his office. Let me see if he's available." With these words, the young man disappeared through another door to the back rooms. As the door swung shut, Kaoru could overhear the sounds of an argument. One man was yelling at top volume, the other's voice was so low it was only a murmur.

"I'm telling you!" the first voice thundered, and Kaoru realized it was the cobbler, Shiro, who lived not too far from the Kamiyas. "That man Hood is behind this! Who else do you know that's brave enough to mess with Imperial deliveries? I want my cargo back, or restitution, and I tell you right now that I'm never sending my goods with one of the king's caravans again, your foolish laws be damned!" Kaoru frowned. Rumors had been circulating over the past year about a warrior-thief with a grudge against the king. Those trade wagons and deliveries that flew Shishio's flag rarely made it to the capital intact if they took the most efficient route from the coastal towns in the west, which happened to run parallel to the Nottingham side of Aokigahara.

The lower voice said something, but the young woman on the other side of the door couldn't quite make it out. Not that she needed to.

"You're _looking into it! _Just how do you expect me to pay your stupid taxes if a month's worth of work disappears and all you can tell me is that you're _looking into it?_" The fletcher's daughter cringed. That really _was_ awful news. Something about it didn't sound right though. Hood was well-known for robbing imperial caravans, but what use could he possibly have for an order of shoes? No, that sounded more like someone else had come along and scavenged afterward or something.

The murmur sounded again, and Kaoru stepped back from the door just in time to avoid being hit by it as the old man easily identifiable by his unruly white hair slammed it open. Shiro nodded to Kaoru, giving her a look that clearly said _good luck, _then marched out the front door, followed by Tadachi, who whistled.

"He's a bit touchy today, isn't he?" the young man asked, raising an eyebrow. "Anyway, the boss will see you now. Try not to rile him up or anything," the deputy winked, and Kaoru had to resist rolling her eyes. As much as there was nothing she'd love more than to verbally thrash Dogface, she wasn't stupid, and knew he'd be in a mood after that little confrontation.

So she stepped past Tadachi without responding, shaking her head a little at his proclivity for understatement.

"Enter," came the sheriff's voice even as she raised her hand to knock on the door to his personal office. She shrugged to herself, and turned the handle. At this point, she was so ready to be done with it all that she forgot to be nervous, and Shiro's words from earlier were tugging at the back of her mind, distracting her.

So it was not until she entered the room and came face-to-face with Hajime Saito himself that Kaoru remembered why she hated coming here so much. Not only was the man nearly a foot taller than she was, but she knew that he had some command of ki. There was no way that level of intimidation was natural. As trained as she was, she was able to mask her own ki, but she knew that Saito was able to use his to his advantage, something she had not quite mastered. The eyes, though; the cat-yellow eyes were really the clincher. It seemed to her like she was being stared down by some kind of caged beast, a predator whose bars were only for show. She suppressed a shudder. Saito always made her feel like she was being assessed somehow, and the almost-disdainful look he gave her made her think she was not measuring up to some invisible standard.

"Miss Kamiya," he greeted, and his tone was flat and bored as ever. "How might I help you?" He was seated in a hard wooden chair behind a desk of solid, if not ornate, construction. Though the sheriff was probably more wealthy than everyone else in Nottinghamshire put together at the moment, he had the sense and, Kaoru had to admit, the grace not to flaunt it. Everything in here was well-made, but without a trace of adornment.

She brought her blue eyes to meet his unnerving ones, and spoke steadily, if tonelessly. "My father sends me with your order." Reaching to her shoulder, she removed one of her three remaining quivers carefully before taking the necessary four steps to reach his desk.

His gaze lingered on her for a moment too long before dropping to the arrows, but she refused to look away. Somewhere inside herself, she knew this was a test of some kind, and she refused to shame herself by failing it. At last, he broke eye contact to examine his purchase. He sighted down the shaft of an arrow before testing the point against his finger. "And these are made to be silent?" he questioned, though she was sure he already knew the answer, as his order had been very specific.

"Yes, milord," she replied, the title leaving a bitter taste on her tongue. "The only sound when you fire one of these will be your bowstring." This, she managed with confidence. Her father's work was near-infallible, and she had gathered the feathers for this order herself. Owl feathers, which made no sound in the night sky.

His eyes narrowed slightly at her tone, but he did not seem angry. Instead, he replaced the arrow in the quiver and nodded. "They will do," he said, and from him Kaoru knew that was as close to praise as she could expect.

Rightly taking this as her cue to exit, Kaoru collected the payment on the desk in front of her and left without another word, breathing a sigh of relief when she knew she was out of earshot. Her mind quickly went back to Shiro's story, though, and she got the same feeling she'd had before; that something wasn't quite right. _I wonder if it's really Hood doing this? _she thought. The mysterious thief with legendary swordskills wasn't known to be a particularly lawful individual, obviously, but she hadn't thought him the type to steal from the despondent. Then again, times were desperate, and people equally so. She was so distracted that she didn't even notice as Tadachi bid her farewell on her way out.

* * *

It was with weary spirit that she found herself making her last delivery of the day. Kamatari's tavern was a warm, comforting place generally, even if the town didn't know quite what to make of its proprietor. Kaoru pushed open the door heavily and stepped inside. The back rooms of the tavern doubled as the town's inn, but Kaoru had no need to leave the tastefully-decorated front room; the owner himself was behind the counter today.

"Why hello there, Miss Kaoru!" Kamatari greeted cheerfully, setting down the spotless glass he had been polishing. "What can I do for you today?" The effeminate tavernkeeper knew well why she was there of course, but the two always managed to have friendly conversation whenever the fletcher's daughter came by; Kamatari knew all of the scuttlebutt the village had to offer, and he always found Kaoru to be woefully uninformed, a problem which he made a point to correct as often as possible.

"I'm just here with a delivery," Kaoru replied, feeling a smile settle onto her face, "but if you've got some water, I wouldn't say no to it." She settled herself onto one of the chairs pushed against Kamatari's counter at his nod, and greeted the two other afternoon regulars, Kamatari's sister Nanako the seamstress and her daughter Suzuka, both lifetime residents of the town.

"Uncle Kamatari was just telling us that Kyou's house was marked last night," Suzuka whispered conspiratorially from her position directly next to Kaoru, brown eyes wide with excitement. A few years Kaoru's senior, the girl had a taste for gossip that rivaled her uncle's; her job as hostess of the tavern only seemed to feed it.

"Trust the Night Watchman to figure out who did it while the sheriff and his goons just flounder around," her mother added with more than a hint of bitterness in her voice. Nanako's son had been the victim of an attack, perpetrator unknown, and was still in the process of recovery. While she had repeatedly pleaded at the police, Dogface had just told her there was not enough evidence to draw any substantive conclusions about the identity of the perpetrator, since the boy had not seen his attacker. Kyou, once a painter, had become unstable after the death of his wife, but there was simply nothing tying him to the crime.

"How did the Watchman figure it out anyway?" Suzuka wondered aloud.

Kamatari grinned and spoke up. "The Night Watchman made his reputation first by catching criminals in the act just when they thought they were unseen. Marking their doorways with black arrows only came later. It's his way of telling us that this person has been stopped in the commission of a serious offense. Most likely Kyou was about to strike again when the Watchman saw and marked him." Noticing that Kaoru had drained her glass of water, he replaced it speedily, sliding it down the counter with a practiced flourish.

"But, I mean, how can you tell what crime the Watchman saw them doing?" Suzuka persisted. "It's not like robbery and murder are the same thing."

Kaoru shrugged. "Nottingham is small," she pointed out. "Most of the victims come forward when they know someone is on their side, even if it is just a spirit. Plus, if you got an arrow on your door, wouldn't you rather confess to what you did than have people shun you everywhere you went?" This was something they had seen previously. Even before Dogface, the sheriff had refused to convict someone based on the arrow alone. The accused could choose not to confess, but the people of the town had more faith in the mysterious spirit sentinel than the sheriff's office, and would generally treat the marked as though they didn't exist afterward. Shopkeepers would refuse them service, and even their families would resent them.

Kamatari chuckled. "Sometimes I wonder why the Watchman doesn't just punish them himself. Then I realize that such a thing is a fate as good as being dead."

Kaoru looked aghast, but the barman winked at her to show he was joking. "People would stop believing in him if he played judge," Nanako said seriously. "He leaves them to the judgment of their neighbors, as is just." Even so, they all knew that the Watchman was number one on Dogface's wanted list, higher even than Hood himself.

"And probably worse than anything else," her brother shot back again. The other three contemplated this for a moment, but the tavernkeeper's lively spirit would only allow that for so long. "Here's another interesting piece of news for you then: the king has been sending troops into Aokigahara."

Kaoru's eyes flew open at this, and Suzuka let out a gasp. "Why would he do something like that?" the former wondered aloud. "Even if it's not haunted, it's not the nicest place to be for people who don't know it well, and there's nothing in there anyway…"

Kamatari shrugged as though he weren't as curious as the rest of them. "There are always the forest nomads," he suggested.

Nanako snorted. "And what would the king want with those rat-catchers?" she asked derisively. Kaoru had never really understood the disdain that most villagers felt for the few people who banded together to eke out a living in the Forest of Death; her father had said it was an old hate, one that resulted from former conflict, and had left it at that.

"I could not say," her brother replied evenly. "Of course… well there is one other possibility…" he let the sentence hang in the air, well aware of his audience. Suzuka seemed to be waiting with bated breath, and Nanako looked intrigued.

After he had paused a few beats too long, Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Which is…?" she prompted, only to earn another playful wink, to which she raised an eyebrow. Half of any conversation between the barkeeper and the fletcher's daughter was nonverbal, which often annoyed third parties.

"They say," Kamatari replied, adopting a conspirator's secretive tone and leaning towards the three of them, "they say that an undying demon lives in the forest, and the king seeks to learn the secret of his immortality."

Nanako snorted, Suzuka's eyes flew wide, and Kaoru burst out laughing. "They do, do they?" she managed between breaths. "I'd like to see that." She personally thought that the king was most likely after Hood. Why bother with stories of ageless demons when there was a caravan-sabotaging rogue in the area?

"Who knows?" the man replied carelessly. "Maybe one day you will."

* * *

After giving Kamatari his hunting arrows and taking her leave, Kaoru rode back to her home in silence, greeting her father on her way up to her room, where she fell onto her pallet for a few hours of blessedly dreamless sleep.

* * *

Koshijiro's hand on her shoulder wakened her. Judging from the absence of light in the room, night had fallen fully. Wordlessly, she accepted the bowl of soup he placed into her hands and drank it swiftly, not caring that it scalded her tongue. He stayed to make sure she consumed all of it, then took the now-empty bowl and returned downstairs.

As soon as he was gone, Kaoru pulled open her bottom drawer and removed the garments therein. Within moments, she was garbed entirely in black, looser articles over tighter ones that would move noiselessly, a mask that would obscure the lower half of her face hanging around her neck.

She grabbed her bow, but not her quiver, and exited her home through the back door, snatching up the sable cloak she had ignored that morning and settling it about her shoulders as she went. In the barn, her father stood with an expression on his face that was at once tired, grim, and proud. In one hand, he held a pair of reins, currently attached to the Kamiyas' other horse, Hagane, the one that nobody knew of. In his other was a quiver full of midnight-black arrows, and Kaoru smiled to herself.

Koshijiro handed her the quiver, which she slung over her back easily. Before she could say anything, he spoke. "Be careful out there tonight." His daughter knew well that he wished he was still healthy enough to do this himself, but she was in truth more than happy to play the role of Night Watchman. It was something that had been in the Kamiya family for generations, though the trademark black arrows were her own idea.

"I always am, you know that," she replied easily, and he shook his head. This was routine for the two of them, but Koshijiro seemed more worried than usual this evening, and Kaoru could not help but wonder why. "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head, as if to rid himself of some troubling thought. He had that haunted look again, the one he got when remembering things he'd rather forget, like his time at war. "No," he replied, though she was unsure of the veracity of the answer.

"If you say so." Kaoru leaned in and kissed her father on the cheek, before moving her mask so that it covered her nose and mouth before raising the hood of her cloak.

* * *

Hagane shifted ever so slightly under her as Kaoru skirted the edges of town. She wouldn't be able to actually enter it until later that night, after the last watch had retired until morning. Luckily for her, the village of Nottingham did not have enough officers of the law to post a sentry all night, so she had little fear of being spotted. Of course, this lack was the reason for her existence and also her name. As the Night Watchman, she was the eyes and ears of the village in the wee hours.

It was a burden that she was coming to find heavier than she had initially expected. It had seemed a great deal of fun at the time she first discovered her father's other identity. She had woken early to find him coming home strangely-dressed one morning and thought the resulting story the most wonderful thing in the world. Now that she was wearing the mantle herself, though, it all weighed on her almost like some tangible thing. People counted on their near-mythical protector to guard against both wild beasts and the more malicious animal that was man, and experiences like the one she'd had at Kamatari's that afternoon had only confirmed it. She had indeed caught Kyou about to hurt someone; a wandering vagrant who had no place to stay, and had only barely managed to stop him in time to save the woman's life. He had fled, as most did when realizing what they were seeing, and she had marked his home accordingly.

She'd known about Nanako's son, too, of course; a little detective work could go a long way, even if she couldn't talk to the witnesses, as either Kaoru Kamiya or the Night Watchman. Still, she'd had to admit that her knowledge was circumstantial. In all likelihood, Dogface had been right about the evidence, despite his double-standard when it came to Outlanders. She'd not felt comfortable marking his house without something irrefutable, and so she'd spent the night following him unseen and at a distance, just to be sure.

It disturbed her, what she had seen. Nottingham was generally a safe place, far different from larger cities, and that was the first time she'd ever stopped a murder. That people could do that to each other chilled her to the bone. Kaoru understood well that her father had killed people during the war, and she did not resent him for it, but killing an unarmed person for the sheer pleasure of it… _that _was unconscionable.

A small noise drew her attention, and she silently turned Hagane in the direction from which it had come. Of course, for all the good she did, she was not well-liked by the sheriff and those under him; she supposed being better than them at their jobs could have this particular side effect. Her thoughts were forced to the present, though, when someone jumped at her from the right side of the alleyway she currently occupied. Had she not lain back onto her horse's hindquarters, she'd have been hit with an ill-aimed sword.

Leaping down from Hagane's back, Kaoru indicated to the stallion through touch that he was to stand still, knowing that the young warsteed would have enough sense to run if his life were in danger. Moving away from him slightly, she drew her attacker to a wider part of the alleyway, cursing the fact that she'd been distracted enough by her thoughts to allow this to happen.

Turning to face her opponent, she caught sight of messy brown hair and a face she'd always thought of as too friendly for his profession, and her eyes widened beneath the shadow cast by her cowl. Tadachi's expression was hard, and the sword he held in his hands only quivered slightly, despite what would doubtless be a great deal of fear of the elusive spirit before him.

Kaoru was obviously quite confused by his presence here, and for a moment she was afraid he would recognize her. But no, the likelihood was very slim, given that her clothing obscured her figure to the point that most people who saw her assumed the Night Watchman was, indeed, a man. Not that she was seen that often, mind.

She reached for her bow, hoping to just pin him to a wall or scare him off so that she might escape, but he charged her before she had the chance. Sighing inwardly, she flowed smoothly into one of her hand-to-hand stances. This was going to hurt…_him_.

He reached her, and she dodged the amateur swing of his blade, before forcing down the hilt with one hand and delivering a series of open-palmed strikes to his midsection with the other. Dazed, he stumbled backward. Deciding that it was probably best to scare him as much as possible, she twisted her left hand, causing him to cry out and drop his sword, which fell into her right and was swiftly brought to his throat.

He lost control over his trembling then, and her gut twisted at his terrified face. It didn't seem right to frighten him so. He was, after all, a good person, even if he did follow Dogface's orders to the- _Dogface!_ If Tadachi was here trying to fight the Night Watchman, it meant one of two things: he'd either displayed more initiative than she'd thought he possessed by thinking of this on his own, or Saito himself was somewhere in the vicinity.

These thoughts occurred to her just fast enough that she was able to locate the sheriff's ki and listen for the distinctive _twang _of a bowstring so as to dodge the arrow fired at her. As it stuck in the wall to her left, she noted bitterly that she'd delivered it to him just that afternoon. _I guess that explains why he needed stealth ones… _she thought wryly, though the sarcasm was tinged with panic. She was pretty sure she couldn't take Saito in a fight, and that was assuming Tadachi wasn't interfering. Besides, the chance was too great that if she stuck around, they'd discover her identity.

Making a split-second decision, she dashed past the still-stunned Tadachi and leapt onto Hagane's back. The stallion didn't need to be told twice, and immediately took off at a gallop.

Kaoru heard the sounds of hooves behind her and groaned. _Of course he'd be ready for this. _The Night Watchman was widely considered a spirit not just because of its apparent agelessness, but also because of the ability to disappear in what seemed the blink of an eye, the result of much stealth training. These were not exactly the ideal conditions, however; Saito was far too close behind. Hagane was faster than most horses out there, but not enough so to make much of a difference here.

More than anything though, Kaoru knew that she could not lead the sheriff to her home, else her father be taken prisoner along with her. It seemed there was only one option left.

The fletcher's daughter turned her horse's head slightly and urged him to go even faster. It was time for the Night Watchman to disappear… into the Forest of Death.

_

* * *

So did you all see the Night Watchman twist coming? I tried not to make it too obvious, but well, there was information that needed to come out in a certain order, so yeah. Also, I've changed the Kamiya Kasshin style and the concept of ki around quite a bit for this fic. I figured it's AU, so why not? Hopefully nobody minds._

_Thanks to Crau-san, Caseyedith, Valhara, Gabi1994, Kokoronagomu, Satora-wolf, JasmineBlossom625, Pterion, Daichilover, the Lady L, and SRAS9 for your reviews. This website doesn't like it when I respond to you individually, but I will fight for my right to at least thank you by name!_

_~Kiku~_

* * *

If I had a choice, all my reviewers would get actual ice cream cake. Since I do not, you'll have to accept my thanks instead…


	4. Chapter 3: Confrontation and Revelation

_A/N: This one's for JasmineBlossom625 and Satora-wolf. Thanks for all the encouragement, you two!_

* * *

Chapter 3: Confrontation and Revelation

_

* * *

The culture of Meiji is a military one, and many practices that strike outsiders as odd are the result of this very tendency. At its heart, however, this is a simple matter. We have always been a small country, but one rich in certain valuable resources, most notably iron. When there is a press from every border made by those who want what you have, a land of our size has two choices: submit or fight._

_Early in our history, the first king of Meiji made his choice, and it is one his descendants have upheld with a fierce pride. Our iron deposits were sent to the forges, where our craftsmen made swords finer than any other. Our military was trained to be worthy of these weapons, and much like the steel of their blades, each soldier was tempered in a trial by fire. The result was a force like none before it, and to this day, the sight of a regiment of Meiji soldiers strikes fear into the heart of the enemy._

_This ruthlessness was often translated into the politics of the country, though here it was an entirely different kind of might that was required. Many a general of great renown fell to the subversive power of a crafty opponent, though the dagger was always in his back. Such actions were considered dishonorable, but there are always those who care little for such distinctions, and so the nobility came up with a solution most ingenious._

_On a battlefield, a commander must always be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of his soldiers. Even if this is so, there are always those he knows he can rely on more than the rest, those he trusts. The fourth king of Meiji, knowing how effective it was to have someone always watching his back, chose to keep with him not only a standard regiment of bodyguards, but also his most trusted friend and fellow soldier, the general Shin'ichi, granting him title and rank to befit his station as second only to the king himself._

_The tradition persisted, and many higher nobles chose Seconds from the ranks of the lower nobility's younger sons, those who would not inherit their fathers' prestige. For the Seconds themselves, this was a chance to earn honor and respect, something still highly-prized in Meiji society. Before long, nobles were making these arrangements for their children almost as they did political marriages; to be selected as a Second for a noble's son meant that the two houses, higher and lower, would be tied firmly for a generation, often beyond._

_Each Second serves as bodyguard and spymaster for his lord, and goes through a period if special training for this purpose. Additionally, he is given a portion of the lord's lands to call his own. The king's Second alone is given the Earldom of Westlake, though his children do not inherit it. Such it is with all Seconds: the honor is great, but each can expect to give nothing to his children save his skills, so that they too might find employ in his unique profession._

_It should be noted that a Second's many tasks are still subservient to the purpose for which the position was originally created: above all else, they are to fight beside their lord, and die for him should the need arise._

* * *

Kaoru led Hagane through the twisted paths of the forest for what seemed like forever. She had only managed to lose Saito about an hour ago, and shortly after that, the trees had become too thick to ride any faster than she could walk. So, deciding to give her faithful companion a well-earned rest, she had taken to leading him deeper into Aokigahara on foot.

As she walked, she wondered what exactly she was supposed to do now. Her father would doubtless be worried, and she needed to find some way to tell him she was safe. She briefly considered returning later and acting as though nothing had happened, but knowing Dogface, he'd probably be conducting a search of all the houses in the area soon, and when she could not be found, he would become suspicious.

Her father could easily feign ignorance, she knew that. It was the reason they kept Hagane a secret, so that if Saito should search the stable, he would find only the one black horse, one that the Watchman was definitely _not_ using. There would be nothing to tie Kaoru or her father to the Night Watchman, and what was more, her gender would actually serve some use for once. In Kaoru's experience, men were always willing to believe two things about a woman: that she was weak and that she was stupid. If Koshijiro told Saito that his daughter had run away, perhaps to be with a man, the sheriff would be likely to accept it as truth. After all, nobody would believe the Watchman was female.

Yes, that would be what he had to do. Koshijiro actually had a note, written in Kaoru's hand, to just this effect, in case of an emergency. Still, it did not sit right with her that her father should remain ignorant of her true fate, and she would have to find a way to let him know what had happened.

Her plan formulated thusly, Kaoru now only needed a way to implement it. Going back into town now was too risky; should Dogface find her again, all deception would be useless. _Damn. What am I going to do now?_

She observed with some trepidation that nautical dawn had arrived; though the sun would not arise for some time yet, there was the barest beginning of light in the eastern sky. The comfort provided with the cover of darkness was escaping, and she knew she would soon be all the more visible for her colorless clothing, instead of the opposite.

A small noise to her right caught Kaoru's attention. Having sworn to herself never to be caught off-guard again after what had happened in the alley, she had been sure to keep half her mind on what was happening around her at all times. So when the sound reached her ears, she reacted instantly, dropping Hagane's reins and nocking an arrow onto her bowstring, pulling it so that it was taut, but not yet ready to fire. Aware that her voice was decidedly female, she chose not to speak. Surely, her actions could do that loudly enough.

She was apparently correct; there was a short yelp from the direction of the noise, and before long, a small boy emerged from the bushes, both hands held in the air. He looked quite like an Outlander, perhaps from the Southlands. He was too dark to be from Norsunder, and too short for the solitary tribes of the Western Wilds.

"Hey, there's no need to point that thing over here, ya jerk," he said testily, though she sensed a fair amount of fear from him as well.

Her eyes narrowed, and she pulled the bowstring back a little further. _Who is he to call me a jerk? It's not like I __**asked**__ to be chased all the way out here, _she groused internally. The boy's dark eyes widened, and he backed up a couple steps.

"Okay, okay, sorry," he volunteered hastily. "I just don't see a lotta strangers in my forest, you know?" his voice changed in pitch a little at the end, and she could tell he was attempting to placate her by being more friendly. Whatever else she thought of him, the kid was doing an admirable job hiding his fear, and she lowered her bow. _**His **__forest? I wonder if he's one of the nomads that live here? Perhaps one of them could help me? _It was almost too much to hope for, but Kaoru felt the blooming of optimism in her chest anyway. If she could get a message to her father, she would feel much more able to deal with whatever came next, not that she had any idea what that might be.

At her obvious acceptance of his words, the boy plowed onward. "My name's Yahiko," he offered, then paused as though he were waiting for her to respond. When she did not, he shrugged and continued. "I'm guessin' you're the Watchman person that nobody can shut up about. No offense," he amended quickly.

Deciding it couldn't hurt, Kaoru nodded. Catching sight of it, Yahiko's eyes lit with recognition. "So you won't talk, but you'll answer me?"

The woman considered for a moment, then nodded again. Yahiko grinned, and she smiled under her mask. Maybe the kid wasn't too bad after all. "So, what are you doing out here?" there was silence, and then Yahiko understood his mistake. "Oh, s'pose I have to guess, huh?" She nodded again, rolling her eyes beneath her hood.

"Um, are you lost?" Kaoru shook her head. She knew well where she was, she just couldn't leave.

"Well, that's weird, 'cause I haven't seen you out here before. You're not just takin' a walk, are ya? No, that'd be stupid. Uhh… are you running away from something?" he guessed randomly, and was startled when she inclined her head once more, not exactly happy with his word choice but realizing that it was as much the truth as anything.

"Huh… well, I guess you're welcome to come with me then. All of us are runnin' from somethin' out here." Yahiko shrugged, then scrutinized her as if trying to see her face beneath the mask. At last, he sighed. "You prob'ly don't trust anything I'm sayin' and I guess I understand that. But bein' out here alone ain't exactly safe, even for spirits like you. So I'd say you oughta come and see for yourself." He looked at her expectantly.

Kaoru thought it over. There was a chance this could be some elaborate trap. While she didn't exactly believe in demons and the like, she knew the forest was dangerous, and there were tales of beasts that could disguise themselves as men. Still, Yahiko seemed perfectly real to her senses, including the ki one, and that was even considering how strange it was to find a child in the middle of the Forest of Death. Besides, she was tired and hungry, and wasn't about to pass up a chance at the help she needed. So she nodded reluctantly, and followed the boy deeper into the trees.

* * *

The man referred to by so many as Hood flicked the blood off his blade in disgust. These raids were becoming increasingly frequent of late, and he could tell that Shishio suspected that this was the renegade prince's location.

Aoshi moved to his right side, and he acknowledged his Second's presence with a slight flick of his eyes in the appropriate direction, nothing more being necessary for his meaning to be communicated. Another battalion of soldiers gone, committed to the earth far from home. In a sick way, it almost reminded him of his time in the middle of the war effort. He had far less soldiers at his command now, of course, and the enemy now was once an ally, but the feeling he got after a battle was the same conflicted mess it had been back then.

There was annoyance, of course. All he asked these days was to be left alone, save that he robbed the occasional caravan for supplies. But those people were smart enough to run in the opposite direction when he made his presence known.

There was dissatisfaction. No fight was ever much of a challenge when you knew the forest well enough to get the drop on anyone who entered. Two years living in it could give a person that sort of insight, and he had at his disposal two people who'd spent the whole of their lives in the place as well. He'd briefly considered taking this group of Shishio's men on without the element of surprise, but had pragmatically discarded it as unnecessarily risky for those around him. If he had been alone, perhaps he would have. Confronting a battalion of fifty by himself might have been worthwhile.

Then there was, paradoxically, the fierce joy. In the middle of a fight, no matter how unworthy, he always felt as though he were more alive than usual. This was fading with time though, and contributed to both his irritation and dissatisfaction. It seemed more tedious now than anything, the way he lived, and yet he had been reduced to this by one even he could not defeat. So in some way, he longed for the times when fights had been something to look forward to, that despite the very real stakes, he could almost forget everything else but the action and reaction of two people bent on defeating each other.

Naturally, the direction of his thoughts left him quite moody, and so when he entered his camp and found a stranger in it, he was none too pleased.

* * *

Yahiko had sat his mysterious guest down by the fire, and was casting about for topics of conversation. The odd man seemed willing enough to answer questions, as long as he did not have to speak. _Maybe he's mute or something? _

Either way, this severely limited the young forest-dweller's options, so he settled for doing a few camp chores while keeping an eye on the stranger. He wasn't exactly sure what had possessed him to offer this person-or spirit, or whatever- aid, but he'd done so, and he'd accept the responsibility for it, if it came to that.

The visitor to camp barely moved as he busied himself, though, and so it was hard for the boy to observe anything. Even the horse seemed reluctant to stir, and stood silently next to its master like some kind of sentry. Yahiko had heard stories of horses like those from his parents. They served as steeds in the Southlands, his mother's birthplace, and were renowned for their unwavering loyalty and intelligence. Having been raised in the forest, he'd never actually seen one before.

The creature _was_ magnificent, and Yahiko had always been partial to animals, but it was the rider that held his attention. The enigmatic hero of many a tavern tale was a great deal shorter and slighter than Yahiko had expected, though this didn't really do much to lessen the air of mystery about him. The man appeared to be perfectly still, and if the boy hadn't known he was there, it would have been near-impossible to detect him. When the Watchman did move, his actions were fluid, perfectly-controlled, as though everything was the result of precise planning, or just some kind of innate gracefulness.

His guest didn't seem uncomfortable in the forest, either, which was odd. The almost supernatural aura of the place was enough to intimidate even the most hardened of people; he'd only ever met three men not raised there who could deal with it for prolonged periods of time, and had come to take it as a sign of strength of will. Having lived there all his life, Yahiko was well-used to the hostile environment, but such a trait was uncommon in those from the more civilized parts of Meiji.

He was about to ask if the masked man wanted anything to eat when he sensed three ki signatures headed towards them. He was more grateful for his mother's teachings every time he used them, and now was no exception. Yahiko remained silent as the small group approached. In a sense, bringing the Watchman here was a sort of revenge. He was never allowed to skirmish with the two adults in the group, and just to make sure he didn't try, they'd taken his foster sister as guide instead of him, as though she knew better than to join a fight or something. If anything, she was even worse than he… well, unless it was Aoshi asking. _So that was their loophole. Figures, _he thought cynically.

Kenshin was the first into camp, though he was followed at no more and no less than two paces by his tall, dark-haired companion, as always. Yahiko thought it was weird, that Aoshi never failed to walk just a little behind Kenshin, but he was smart enough not to say anything about it. The one time he'd asked where the men were from, Kenshin had given him a glare that sent shivers up his spine. Neither he nor Misao had inquired after it again.

As it was, the two were trailed at a longer distance by a sheepish-looking Misao. _So she tried to join in after all… _That was his friend, all right. The now-teenaged girl had always been picking fights when they were kids, especially with the children that teased Yahiko for being half-Outlander. There was no reason to believe that'd she'd just stand back when the stakes were higher than that.

All these thoughts were driven from his mind, however, when Kenshin addressed him. "Yahiko, who is this?" his tone was quiet, but the boy knew that was worse than anything. _Uh-oh… _He wasn't exactly afraid of the red-haired brigand, since he knew that if his once-rescuer meant him any harm he would have come to it already. That did not fully eliminate the traces of a more primal fear that would surface whenever their leader was angry, though, and he stammered to answer as quickly as possible.

"Er… this is… well, it's the Night Watchman," he said lamely. "Guy's runnin' from something, wouldn't say what, and well…" he trailed off as Kenshin's gaze, still bright from his battle, turned and fixed on the hooded figure, who stood up. _Oh crap… this ain't gonna be good…_

* * *

Kenshin listened to Yahiko's half-formed explanation before dismissing the information as useless. The boy clearly didn't know who this person actually was, even if they were all aware of the tales surrounding the Night Watchman. Nothing said that this was the man himself; it could just as easily be some kind of spy. In fact, that was the most likely option. What other reason could someone have for appearing in his camp?

_An awfully inept spy… _he thought caustically. "You," he said aloud, "tell me your name." The figure stiffened, then shook his head deliberately, apparently disliking either the question or the tone in which it was asked. Not that Kenshin could have cared less.

"Very well then." The red-haired man drew his sword without preamble, and watched as the cloaked form fell into a defensive stance so quickly it must have been automatic. _Interesting… _perhaps this mysterious visitor would put up something of a fight. There was only one way to find out.

Lunging forward, he swung his sword in a broad horizontal arc, and was mildly surprised when the figure sprang backwards onto his hands and flipped out of range. Eyes narrowing, Kenshin moved forward again, faster now, only to be met with empty air a second time. _He's better than I anticipated… _the thought registered in the back of Kenshin's mind, but such things were already being surrendered to adrenaline-fueled instinct as his system flooded with the excitement of an unanticipated challenge.

To his further astonishment, his opponent lashed out with a booted foot, catching the swordsman's blade too close to the hilt-and his hands- for complete comfort. Kenshin's own feet slid back under the force of impact, just a little, but it was more than anyone had accomplished in a long time, and his golden eyes narrowed. It was time to stop playing around.

He relished the feeling as he let go of his more rational side bit by bit, allowing himself to submit to the feral impulses of a true battle, and enjoyed watching the other man rise to meet the challenge. The figure carried only a long knife produced from somewhere within the folds of his black clothing, but this was utilized with as much skill as many wielded a full-sized sword, and the sound of steel on steel rang into the forest.

The cloaked man was full of surprises that served to keep Kenshin on his toes, and refused to let the battle fall into a steady rhythm. Attacks with his gloved palms and quick feet were mixed seamlessly with the knife strikes, and it wasn't long before Kenshin was fully engrossed in the fight, acting and reacting, dodging, striking, and blocking in a dance as deadly as it was enthralling.

His blood sang with a rare rush as they picked up speed yet again. They moved at a velocity invisible to the naked eye, and Kenshin knew that he fought someone else who was ki-trained. When he was young, one of his uncles had taught him the rudiments of swordplay and ki manipulation, both of which he had become quite accomplished at. Here in the forest, he continued his training, though only rarely would his master spar with him, and so a fight like this, where the participants were on near-even footing, was something to be savored.

Still, all things must end, and part of being absorbed in such a match was constantly searching for a way to win it. A wicked half-smile appeared on the swordsman's face ten minutes into the exchange as he found the opening he was looking for. This man was a more worthy opponent than he had ever stumbled upon, save his master and his Second, but Kenshin's own training was clearly a cut above. He applied his full speed for a burst of movement, and went in for the final assault.

To his surprise, the blow meant to slice his adversary's weapon hand off was turned by a hidden bracer on the other wrist, and so it only succeeded in knocking the man to the ground a few feet away.

Slightly perturbed that his Ryushuisen had been largely avoided, Kenshin advanced on his downed opponent, who appeared to have had the wind knocked out of him. The baser part of his nature demanded a kill, but he was stronger even than that particular impulse, and mastered it quickly. While he had fully intended to end the fight with a death, the fact that his finisher had been blocked was making him reconsider his position on that slightly.

The figure, of course, did not know this, and he could sense fear being ruthlessly quashed by a strong will, which nearly made him smile again. He was just thinking that this man reminded him a great deal of himself a few years ago when several things happened at once.

First, his opponent sprang up from the ground and into a standing position in one impressive movement. Unfortunately, this motion dislodged the cowl from the stranger's head.

Second, Kenshin-and everyone else- took a moment to register what they were seeing. Unless the exiled prince was very, very mistaken- and he was quite sure that he was not- the person under the hood was not a _man _at all. His first impression was of the color blue- the bluest eyes he had ever seen, in fact. They were at once the hue of the sea and of his mother's favorite sapphire pendant. Those eyes widened in shock as their possessor realized what had occurred and tried vainly to pull up the cowl again.

Kenshin would not allow that however, and was at her side in but a moment, catching her wrist even as she grasped the black fabric in her hand, the other still holding the knife, which fell to the ground.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked, voice low and nearly trembling with suppressed anger. He moved his face within a few inches of her masked one, eyes narrowing to golden slits. His ki was roiling, and he meant it to intimidate.

She seemed properly terrified for a second, but then her eyes mirrored his, and she responded ultimately with an open-palmed blow to his chest, which forced him to give up his advantage and move away a few steps.

At this, the girl's gaze grew defiant, and she gripped the edges of her lower-face mask before pulling it down entirely.

He was, to say the least, astonished. She could not have been more than seventeen or so, and yet she had gone toe-to-toe with him for much of their fight, and even now was resisting his efforts to scare her into giving him the information that he sought- efforts that would have yielded results from many a battle-hardened veteran. Her features were stubborn and angular, though there was a softness in her cheeks and brow that spoke to her youth even still.

"What do you mean? I sought to deceive nobody. If you are surprised by what I am, it is only because you assumed something you shouldn't have," her tone was as defiant as her gaze, though he could tell that any harshness was forced into it; in all likelihood, her voice was ordinarily a soft soprano.

He scowled at her and attempted to stare her down once more, but she was apparently used to fighting battles like these and refusing to lose, for she would not look away. Strangely, even some minutes after the fight had ended, he still felt the rush of battle in his veins, and this perplexing circumstance was enough for him to consider carefully what he might do.

He remembered his companions then; he had nearly forgotten their existence entirely over the course of the fight. Aoshi's face betrayed little, but Kenshin knew him well enough to say that he was impressed, and perhaps even a touch amused. Misao, on the other hand, was an open book, and one glance at her wide eyes and slack jaw said it all. Yahiko was wearing much the same look, and he still seemed to be hung up on the fact that his guest was a woman. He kept muttering to himself, something along the lines of "the Watchman's a _girl?_"

None of them seemed as angry as he felt, and this was enough to stay his rage temporarily while he assessed the situation. He then decided that the chances of this woman being a spy for Shishio were slim, for two reasons: first, Shishio was unlikely to use women as spies, and second, because if he sent someone this skilled, she would have tried to assassinate him by stealth rather than sit around and wait for him to show up.

Which left the question of who, exactly, she was. Kenshin had ever been a direct person, and so decided to just put it bluntly. "Who are you and what do you want?" he asked tonelessly.

She blinked once, then contemplated him for a second, as though trying to decide if she wanted to answer. "I am the Night Watchman," she replied simply, and he found that his guess about her pitch had been correct.

He nodded tersely. Now that he had fought her, he understood how she could have survived a job like that one, insofar as he knew what was entailed in it. What her answer did not tell him, however, was anything truly useful. The Watchman was supposed to be some kind of specter; this… woman was very clearly human.

Kenshin gave her a look that indicated beyond doubt that she had better explain more than that, and she shrugged. "The rest isn't really important, is it?" She raised one speculative eyebrow at him. "Who are you?"

He shot her another glare for her impudence, but just like the last, it produced no real effect, which irritated him greatly. "I am known by some as Hood. Others," he indicated his companions with a truncated gesture, "call me Kenshin." Since intimidation wasn't working, he'd have to try diplomacy. Giving her his real name- or rather, part of it- was probably the best way to get hers. She seemed about as surprised as he would have expected, but quickly recovered when someone else spoke.

"I'm Misao," the braided girl piped up, and Kenshin sighed inwardly. She had little instinct for self-preservation. If her actions at the skirmish earlier that day hadn't proved it, giving away information pointlessly certainly did.

So it was a surprise when his Second followed suit. "Aoshi," he said mildly. "I'm sure you already know Yahiko." He flicked his eyes to the boy, who still hadn't gotten over his shock enough to say anything of substance.

A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "You really want to know?" she asked, a note of doubt suffusing her tone for a reason he could not understand. At his second nod, she sighed. "My name is Kaoru Kamiya. I live in Nottinghamshire with my father. This," she indicated her costume, "is a… family tradition, if you will. I was out as normal last night when the sheriff ambushed me. I couldn't lead him home to my father, so…" she trailed off, probably assuming that they could guess the rest.

"So you fled into the forest," Aoshi supplied, and the girl gave him a nod. "Are we to assume that he follows you still?" Trust Aoshi to get right to the heart of the matter. If the sheriff was who Kenshin thought he was, it was probably best to avoid him for now.

"No, I lost him a couple of hours ago. Look, as much as it's been nice meeting all of you-" here she shot Kenshin a glare- "I have to return home to let my father know I yet live. Surprisingly," the lat was mumbled under her breath, but Kenshin caught it even so. She had replaced her mask and was raising her cowl when Aoshi countered.

"Do you not think that this sheriff will have already discovered you are gone?" he asked speculatively. Personally, Kenshin thought that if the girl was stupid enough not to realize that, they should let her meet her fate.

"Of course he will have, but we are not so unprepared as to have no way around that. The important thing now is telling my father what has happened. I'll write a note, leave it for him, then head for another town and, I don't know… disappear, I suppose." Her tone was light, but there was a melancholy beneath it that the dark-haired man and Kenshin both picked up on.

"I might be able to do that for you," Aoshi replied, and the redhead's eyes snapped to his Second. It seemed absolutely absurd that Aoshi should be offering his considerable talents in espionage to this girl, but the man never jested about anything, especially not something of this magnitude.

Kenshin sensed that four pairs of eyes were watching him expectantly. "Fine," he growled, "Take the message to this Kamiya. But as soon as we reach the next town, you're leaving." With that, he stalked off to be alone for a while. He needed some time to collect his thoughts.

_

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_Ehehe... Kaoru's not gonna make life easy for our exile, is she? Reviews appreciated!_

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Kiku would like to thank the following for their reviews last chapter: caseyedith, Jasmineblossom625, pterion, Satora, Crau-san, Gabi1994, tsunami1156, kokoronagomu, SRAS9, and Daichilover. Your reviews sometimes make me laugh, and always make my day!_

_Until next time,_

_Kiku_


	5. Chapter 4: Trial and Tribulation

_For SRAS9 and Geckohawaii, two of the most esoterically-named reviewers I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Thanks!_

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Chapter 4: Trial and Tribulation

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* * *

Meiji, as you may know, is located geographically at the western part of our continent, and borders the Great Ocean on that side. To the north lies the White Sea, and beyond that, the Nation of Norsunder. Of all our neighbors, Norsunder seems to many of us the strangest. The people there worship deities of the sea, and many of that land's citizens live almost their entire lives on boats. Raids against other nations are frequent, though after General Shin'ichi led Meiji to victory in the great Battle of the Delta, these folk have bothered our nation only infrequently, and trade is more common than theft._

_To the south lie the aptly-named Southlands. There are actually several nations in this loose confederation, but the power dynamics here are so fluid and ever-changing that it does little good to define them on maps, for it is almost guaranteed that another young noble will soon raise an army and change them again. Conflict within the Southlands is so common that its people have adapted: nowadays, the fighting is done almost exclusively by mercenaries, and laws prohibit these hired hands from destroying farms and other land owned by the common people. As a result, there is a thriving spice trade, and silks imported from the Southlands are among the most valued commodities in Meiji._

_To the Southwest, the Western Wilds are home to nomadic tribesmen, perhaps the most peaceful of our neighbors. Despite having the physical appearance of hardy warriors, tall and lean, they are quite given to lives of pastoralism or religious contemplation. The one time in recorded history a brash Southland prince tried to breach the borders of the Wilds, he and his army were driven out by an unnamable force, for which there is no word in any tongue save that of the Wilders themselves, who believe that their god protects them from invasion. Perhaps it is true, for nobody ever again tried to take what little they call their own._

_To the East lies Thraciania, and it is with these folk that Meiji has most often struggled. Born from what was once a colony of this, the largest of nations, Meiji has struggled to maintain its independence in the centuries since. For this reason, Thracianians are the most bitterly-despised of all the other peoples on the continent, and Meiji is not alone in this sentiment. Unfortunately, the country boasts an army large and skilled enough to defend itself against the might of any other, save perhaps whatever it is that keeps them out of the Wilds._

_All of these peoples are collectively referred to as "Outlanders" in Meiji, and there is no inherent insult in the title, though prejudice does in many cases run deep. This is indicative both of the independent spirit of our people, and also our proclivity to hold grudges._

* * *

Kaoru was roused from where she slept on the forest floor by a hand on her shoulder. She caught the offending wrist before she was fully aware of what she was doing, and when she opened her eyes, she was looking into the slightly-frightened ones of the girl who called herself Misao.

Immediately releasing her grip, Kaoru drew back. "Forgive me," she said aloud, hoping she had not scared the other female too badly.

Apparently, she had not, for Misao's face broke out in a wide grin. "No problem," she replied cheerfully. "I just thought I should tell you that Sir Aoshi got back just now, and he asked to see you."

Kaoru was up before the teenager had even finished her sentence, and spotted the man in question at the campfire, apparently in conference with the one who called himself Kenshin. She frowned slightly. There had been absolutely no reason for him to attack her like that the night before, and he was so extraordinarily _rude _that she just wanted to… well, she wasn't sure exactly. But it was bound to be unpleasant, that was for sure.

The two of them appeared to notice her at this point, and the redheaded man glared pointedly before moving off in the opposite direction. Kaoru wasted no time in approaching his less expressive friend and sitting a few feet from him.

"Do you have news of my father?" she asked quickly, hoping she didn't sound quite as worried as she felt.

Aoshi nodded slowly, and she caught herself, remembering that it probably wasn't best to rush him or anything. The tall man was sitting flawlessly upright on the log next to the dying embers of last night's campfire, and she couldn't help but think it was odd for a self-professed brigand to have perfect posture. Even she slouched a little. She filed it away under the increasingly large mental list of things that were strange about these people and decided to worry about it later.

"I gave him the note and explained the situation. He is concerned for you, but believes you made the right choice. He says it would be unwise for you to return home anytime within the near future," the tall man relayed without inflection.

She nodded agreeably. "I'd figured as much. Thank you for that, Aoshi, I appreciate it."

"Aa," he replied. "Think nothing of it. Only…" he hesitated, which she decided was probably unusual for him. "Do not be so quick to judge Kenshin. He is not always as he seems." She looked at him askance, inviting him to explain what he meant by this, but he merely stood and went to tend to the breaking of camp with Misao and Yahiko.

Deciding that she ought to be as helpful as possible, since the three of them at least had been quite good to her, she set about cleaning up after herself first, shaking out the black cloak which had been her blanket last night and putting it along with her knives into Hagane's saddlebags. Her bow, she returned to its proper place on her shoulder after moving through her stretches, trying to ease some of the soreness that remained after yesterday's clash with a certain impulsive forest-dweller. After that, she followed Misao about, and the other girl was only too eager to have assistance with her chores.

Between the four of them, camp was broken and all traces of their presence removed before Kenshin made himself known again. Kaoru was wondering why he had gone and left his companions to do all the work when Yahiko explained, in a sense.

"Caravan today?" he asked, and Kaoru supposed that Kenshin must have been out scouting for one. If the stories were true, this was how the small group supplied themselves. Not for the first time, the fletcher's daughter wondered how these people had all ended up out here together anyway.

"No," their leader replied simply. "If we head south, we should catch one tomorrow." Apparently, this was a signal to move out, because all of the others slung light packs containing all their belongings over their shoulders and followed the man with amber eyes into the woods.

* * *

Kenshin moved forward at a steady, if fairly rapid pace. He was pushing his followers a little harder than usual today for two reasons: first, they were quite in need of the supplies the Imperial wagon ahead of them promised, and second, he was testing the mettle of their newest arrival.

His argument with Aoshi that morning had made him resolved to prove her inadequate. His Second had suggested that since the girl clearly had no place to go, it might not be such a bad idea to take her in themselves. The leader of the band was reluctant to consider it for a number of reasons, though he was hard-pressed to articulate any of them. Kenshin told himself that despite her obvious skill, she was likely to prove a liability in the end. Their group worked well at its present size, and even one more person would mean a greater need for supplies. Though he had no qualms with stealing from the king, that didn't mean he wanted to risk his followers without good reason.

Also, there was no way to be sure that the girl wasn't in love with her own legend. The Night Watchman was a people's hero, and though a resident of Nottinghamshire, well-known to others in neighboring towns, and part of tavernlore even in the capital. The idea that the position was held by a family explained why so many believed the Watchman to be a spirit, but Kenshin did not need that kind of notoriety following him around. _He _was certainly no hero, and more than anything else, wished to fade into obscurity. Any antics from her that matched the stories, and they'd have the authorities on their tails for years.

Then, of course, there was the fact that she just annoyed him. Why, he couldn't say exactly. Perhaps it was simply because she'd fooled him so thoroughly, though he suspected it was less that and more the fact that she'd chastised him for being deceived in the first place. Add to that her apparent imperviousness to ordinary methods of intimidation, and Kenshin found himself all too eager to have her out of his hair.

All inadequate reasons for his stoic adviser, he was sure. Sometimes, the exile thought that Aoshi might still harbor thoughts of retribution, of one day unseating Shishio and putting his liege on the throne. Kenshin couldn't exactly fault him for it, as this was merely the result of Aoshi's unwavering loyalty, but it irked him all the same. There was simply no way it was ever going to happen like that, and the sooner his only remaining friend accepted this, the better.

* * *

Kaoru kept up the pace without once complaining; she had no idea if this forced march was the sort of thing the group endured daily, but judging from the fatigued expressions that Misao and Yahiko were wearing by the time the group stopped for lunch, she guessed that it was not. Which meant that it probably had something to do with her. At the same time as she felt a twinge of guilt for the two more amicable members of the group, she made sure to avoid glaring daggers at Kenshin's back, just in case he should notice and attack her again or something.

She could not help the soft sigh that escaped her lips. Like it or not, that arrogant jerk had beaten her, fair and square, and it was with some trepidation that Kaoru considered the fact that she could be dead right now. She tried to escape the impression that she had jumped out of the cookpot and into the fire, but it refused to leave her, and she was filled with a general sense of foreboding. While she did not exactly fear for her life at this point, that didn't mean she'd be able to rest easy. There was no way she was putting her trust in the man most often known as Hood.

Rather than tie Hagane- who was now carrying most of the camp's supplies at her insistence- to a tree, she simply dropped his reins, knowing that he was not going anywhere. Even had he not been flawlessly-trained, she had faith in the unspoken bond between herself and the animal. Southland warsteeds were like that.

Rather than plop onto the ground as Yahiko had done, she lowered herself slowly, not wanting to relinquish her careful guard or the appearance of control, both of which were of great comfort to her, whether or not they would be of any use should the worst happen and Kenshin decide to do away with her after all.

Pushing the thoughts out of her mind so as not to frazzle her already-tense nerves, she was surprised to observe that there was already a pot bubbling away on a fire, and it was the golden-eyed thief himself who was tending it. Puzzled, she regarded him for a moment, only to meet his glare when he looked up. There was a challenge in it, as though he were expecting her to say something, but she ignored it; it wasn't as though she'd never seen a man cook before. Her father prepared all the meals at their house, as Kaoru had a nasty habit of burning anything but tea.

When she merely blinked back at him, his customary scowl deepened and he turned back to what he was doing, apparently deciding to ignore her. Kaoru listened idly as Misao and Yahiko bantered back and forth about something. Aoshi was nowhere to be seen for the moment, though she could sense him somewhere nearby. With nothing to do and no desire to contribute to the chatter, Kaoru let her mind wander, and it found its way immediately back to the shop and Koshijiro. She had to stop herself from sighing again. She'd tried to be nonchalant when Aoshi had delivered his news that morning, but she missed her father terribly. It had been only the two of them for as long as Kaoru could remember, and the lack of his presence was making her uneasy.

The young woman was brought out of her musings when Yahiko shoved a bowl of soup and a spoon into her hands, grinning. Though she wasn't exactly sure why that particular expression was fixed on his face, she accepted it gratefully. Marching all morning had made her _hungry. _She sniffed it delicately, and a pleasant scent assailed her nose, causing her mouth to twitch into the beginnings of a smile.

Without further ado, she tucked in, managing the task of eating with a great deal more grace than Yahiko and Misao, though she thought privately that Aoshi must be some kind of etiquette teacher or something. Between the posture and the finesse with which he went about the mundane, she was thoroughly confused.

Kenshin, she noticed, was much the same. There was more abruptness in his movements, as though he were forcing himself to restrain them, but there was still an inherent bearing in them that was unusual for a commoner. _Then again, for all I know, they're not commoners at all. _She stopped herself from snickering into her soup at the thought. Nobles running around playing thief in the middle of a God-forsaken forest… her imagination really did run away with her sometimes.

Kaoru took another sip, but when she felt a prickle at the edge of her ki sense, she immediately swallowed the near-scalding liquid and fixed her eyes off to the left. _Someone's coming._ She shot a glance to the others, but none of them seemed concerned. Kenshin caught her eye, though, and followed her gaze to the tree line. Giving her an almost imperceptible nod, he resumed his meal.

Without any reason to be alarmed, Kaoru nevertheless did not take her eyes from the trees through which she was certain someone would be coming in a matter of moments. She was soon enough rewarded for her vigilance. A man emerged from the forest, and Kaoru's first thought was that he was even taller than her father or Dogface. Not just taller, though, she realized immediately afterward, but much broader as well.

The stranger wore a rough brown robe, characteristic of brothers in the church, or those who embraced lives of religious solitude. If this man was a monk, though, he was recently come to it, for he carried himself unmistakably like a swordsman, and a dignified one at that. His black hair, she noticed, had an almost greenish hue to it, as though time in the forest were beginning to make him part of it.

The man looked at her and raised an eyebrow. Belatedly, she caught the amusement in the gesture and realized that she'd probably been staring. _Oh great, _she groaned inwardly, _the others thought I was a man, and now this one thinks I'm touched in the head. _She really couldn't make a good first impression to save her life, she decided.

The man, obviously familiar with the rest of them, addressed Kenshin. "Idiot," he began in a monotone, and Kaoru wondered how he'd survived this long if he called the bandit leader something like that, "you weren't supposed to be here for another day."

Interestingly, Kenshin seemed to treat the nickname as though it were his actual one, and made no comment on it. "We had… a change of plans," he replied, just as deadpan, though he directed a meaningful look at Kaoru, and the other man raised the eyebrow again.

"So, who's the wench?" the man asked curiously. Though there had been no insulting tone to the question, Kaoru bristled at being referred to as 'wench'.

"My _name_," she replied bitingly, "is Kaoru Kamiya." She realized the folly of inflaming this strange friar a bit too late. If Hood allowed the man to call him something like 'idiot', he was strong enough to survive the consequences.

Kaoru swallowed, but instead of clouding with anger, the man's face broke into a wide, slightly crooked grin. "You don't say. Seems I've forgotten my manners, _your ladyship,_" he offered, and she realized after a second that he was teasing her.

Two could play at that game. "No offense taken, _Father,_" she rejoined, referencing his garments. What kind of priest or monk called people wench and idiot anyway? Come to think of it, what man of the cloth carried around a _sword?_ For he was, indeed, bearing one, hanging loosely from the cord that cinched his earthy robe at the waist, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Oddly enough, it fit him so well that she'd failed to notice it at first.

At this, he laughed aloud, a barking sound with a deep timbre. "I like you, wench. Tell you what: how about you and me have a little wager?" He fixed her with a dark-eyed look, and she swallowed.

"A wager?" Something was telling Kaoru that she probably shouldn't make a bet with a man who was clearly dangerous, priest or not. The other, louder part of her conscience couldn't resist a challenge. "Sounds fine to me. What am I doing?"

* * *

Kenshin resisted the urge to run a hand down his face. You did _not _accept a wager from Hiko, especially without knowing what it was. Some small fragment of his personality admired her courage, the much larger portion informed him that she was, indeed, an overconfident fool.

From the way Hiko's grin spread across his face, he was thinking it too. "Well, how about we try your skills with that bow?" he asked, pointing to the offending object, a darkwood weapon of finer craftsmanship than Kenshin had seen in years.

Kaoru's eyes narrowed, and she looked at his master as though appraising the older man anew. "And how do you propose we do that?"

"Oh it's pretty simple," Hiko replied, waving a hand dismissively. "You just have to draw my blood."

A smirk crept onto Kenshin's face as he observed the myriad reactions cross the girl's. Shock was first, obviously, but then there was revulsion at the idea. _Of course. You've probably never had to kill anyone before. How nice it must be, to simply scare people into submission, and leave the hard part for someone else. _He knew he was being bitter, but something about this girl seemed to rile him, bring generally-suppressed emotions back to the surface, and he resented the impingement on his carefully-crafted self-control.

Despite himself, he was more than a little interested when her features settled on determination. "Fine," she replied, "but only a scratch."

Hiko chuckled again. "Trust me, wench, you wouldn't be able to manage more than that on your best day." Now he was just trying to make her mad. As she had with Kenshin, though, Kaoru just chose to ignore the obvious barb. Her sore spot was apparently a lot harder to find than either man had anticipated. She was impulsive and careless by Kenshin's estimation, but not entirely without self-awareness, almost a contradiction in terms. _How odd._

Without another word, Kaoru nocked and arrow to her bow, and Kenshin watched as Hiko sped off. The man clearly wasn't applying his full speed, though Kenshin knew it would still be impossible for something like an arrow to hit him.

At first, he was satisfied with the knowledge that he was correct. She fired a few times, and he noted that even when she attempted to anticipate his master's moves, he was never where she expected him to be. _This is what fighting's like in the real world, woman. There are no little targets, no clean shots, no fair play. You don't belong here._

When she reached the last of her arrows, he knew it was over. The rest of the quiver was stuck in various trees and in the ground, and everyone present watched with bated breath for her last try at it.

The arrow was nocked, drawn, fired; and it would miss Hiko by a few inches. Oddly, though, a quick glance at Kaoru's face revealed not the expression of defeat he had expected to see, but a slight smile, as though she knew something they did not. Moving his eyes swiftly back to the arrow, he watched with fascination as it seemed to alter its course in midair, as though a wind had pushed it. A small trigger on his ki sense, and then it hit some bushes behind Hiko.

Kenshin's master stopped, and his pupil observed with nothing short of complete surprise that there was a thin line of red soaking into the sleeve of his robe, on his upper left arm. His eyes shot back to Kaoru, still wearing that selfsame smile, who replaced the bow on her back and set about retrieving the arrows.

* * *

Hiko tested the wound for a minute, running a thumb over the shallow cut and observing without a discernable reaction that there was indeed blood on it. _Interesting… _some time had passed since anybody had managed to injure him at this level.

It seemed that his guess was correct: the girl had learned to apply ki to a long-distance weapon, a distinct technique that he had only ever seen once. One that required precise control. Not only that, but she had been careful to keep to her word. It would have been a simple thing to even accidentally drive the arrow further towards him and do some real damage.

Not that he would have allowed that, of course. The girl was stronger than she realized, but he was far stronger still, and faster. Even so, it had only been a test, and she had performed admirably.

"You keep interesting company these days, idiot," he addressed his apprentice. He and Kenshin were dedicated swordsmen; he doubted that anyone had even taught the boy to wield a bow, since it was considered a commoner's weapon, and below the notice of nobles. Hiko himself had never bothered simply because he could already kill anything he wanted with his sword. Not that he did much killing these days.

The idiot didn't reply, and Hiko smirked to himself in the inscrutable way he knew Kenshin hated. In truth, he doubted the two got along well; their personalities were the kind to initially clash. The thing was, if they could get over that, they may actually prove to be quite the team. _But I think I'll let them figure it out by themselves… or watch them tear each other's limbs off, whichever comes first._

The test had been designed to give Kenshin a glimpse of just that, actually. When Aoshi had approached him with the odd request, he'd been interested enough to say he'd consider it. When he'd discovered the girl's spirit, not to mention her resemblance to someone he once knew, he'd decided to go ahead with it. _She's got skills that you don't, idiot. Necessary ones, too, if you ever want to do more than run from your problems._

Not that he'd ever voice such a hypocritical thought aloud, mind.

_

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Notes: Okay, so you're all probably wondering about a few things, not the least of which are Kenshin's attitude problem, Hiko's story, and why Aoshi would care enough to ask him for help. The last two will be answered in time, but as for the first: Kenshin will spend most, if not all, of this story as the Battousai, and as such, he's not a terribly friendly guy. Throw in the fact that Kaoru's constantly defying his expectations and generally making things difficult for him, and he's not going to like her straight away. I promise they will stop hating each other within a few chapters, though. Do remember that he's basically trying to stay alive and protect Yahiko and Misao (their backstory will show up later, too) and it's kinda tense, ne?_

_Guess what? Sano's showing up in the next chapter! I love Sano. I love writing him, and I also just love his personality. I think there's a lot more to him that some people give him credit for, so count on him being portrayed as a pretty complex character like the rest of them. _

_Also, I'm sorry to say it, but I probably won't be updating once a week anymore. Life is catching up to me (not necessarily in a bad way, but still in a time-sucking one) and I have lots of stuff to do to prepare for the start of term in a couple weeks. I will still update, and I absolutely WILL finish this, just don't expect there to be a chapter every Friday like usual. Again, I'm really sorry and I wish I could stick to this, but I simply don't have the same hours to spare…_


	6. Chapter 5: Crime and Consequence

_I'm back! This one's for JMai and Crau-san, just because. Thanks for your support!_

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Chapter 5: Crime and Consequence

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* * *

The structure of society in Meiji has been much the same since the country was founded. There are peasants and artisans at the bottom, followed by the merchant class. The nobility itself is divided into three distinct classes: lower nobility, upper nobility, and the royal family itself._

_Any citizen in Meiji may own land, and any is as free to earn money as he chooses. In practice, this was what created the merchant class, and some of the more established merchant families are wealthier than most of the lower nobility. Titles may not be purchased, but if a merchant proves himself so adept at his craft as to reach this level, he is often given title for his… achievement. Rumors of money changing hands in these arrangements abound, but none have been able to prove anything. This phenomenon was particularly prevalent during the rule of Shishio I, commonly titled The Usurper._

_None without the proper blood may make it into the ranks of the higher nobility, though what constitutes "proper blood" is as much a matter of interpretation as anything else, and a king may give the title of Earl to a baron's son if he so wishes. For no matter what else might be the rule or custom, there is one thing about Meiji that never changes: the king's rule is absolute, and the royal family is respected above all else. Fail to heed their command, and you might be stripped of all honor and title yourself._

* * *

The morning after her little wager with Friar Hiko (if that was indeed his real name), Kaoru woke to the sounds of camp already being broken. _Odd. I swear it can't be any later than I woke up yesterday…_ She sat up, and was greeted by an enthusiastic Misao.

"Mornin'!" the bubbly girl said cheerfully, and Kaoru wondered where she got all her energy from. "Caravan raid today. Oh, and Kenshin says you get to help too! Well, actually he said something more like 'if she wants to tag along, she has to pull her own weight' or something like that…" she trailed off absently before shaking her head and going back to work.

_Lovely, _Kaoru thought to herself. It wasn't as though she had done absolutely nothing for the group. Her horse was the main reason they'd been able to make such good time yesterday, she was sure. But it seemed that no matter what she did, the surly leader of the band would do nothing but glare at her.

_Well then, I guess I'll just have to prove myself today then. _She wasn't exactly certain when she'd gone from despising the man to seeking his approval, and she was not sure it was a change in the right direction. As far as she knew, they were still planning on abandoning her at the next town. Even so, some part of her felt like she should at least help them out to thank them for taking her in in the first place.

* * *

Kenshin supervised the loading of supplies onto Kaoru's horse, and then led the group in the direction of the edge of the forest, where the swiftest road from the major port towns ran to the capital. Caravans were common along this path, and it was generally considered safe.

Or at least it had been, until he and Aoshi had taken up residence in Aokigahara. Now, only the wealthiest of merchants, those who could afford to lose a shipment or two, or those who could hire armed guards, dared to send their wagons down his road. This state of affairs suited Kenshin just fine; it helped him sort who he wanted to rob in the first place.

Presently, he found himself leaning against a tree at the edge of the forest proper, trusting its shade to provide enough cover that he might remain unseen. The other members of his small troop were placed strategically about the immediate area. Aoshi was playing scout, and would signal the rest when the caravan they were targeting came within range. The main group was just around a blind corner; ready for an ambush that would be quick and absolute.

Choosing the location was Yahiko's job, and the boy had once again proven his knowledge of the forest impeccable. He and Misao were now to fall back and wait until their assistance would be needed unloading the wagon itself. The woman he had left to her own devices, trusting her to at least be competent enough not to get in his way. Kenshin had a sneaking suspicion that his master wanted her to remain with the group in the forest, and that his Second had something to do with it. What Aoshi's motive was, though, was hard to tell. Despite the fact that they had been well-acquainted for years, for some reason Kenshin could not see the larger move behind this particular ploy. Hiko himself had long since disappeared; the older man was never one to hang around for long.

The prince-turned-bandit allowed his thoughts to wander into the realms of speculation for a while as he stood motionlessly under the tree. He was aware of Kaoru's ki signature taking up residence in the boughs above him. A smart choice, he had to admit, for an archer to make.

He was spared further concessions, however, when Aoshi appeared, using hand signals to convey that there were fifteen armed guards with two merchants, all about two minutes away. Interestingly, though, there appeared to be another man with them, not more than a few hundred yards behind, but also clearly not associated. Kenshin wasn't much fond of factors he could not fully account for, but where in another situation he might have waited for the next wagon, or followed this one until the man parted ways with it, there was simply no time to spare. The supplies on board were necessary, and they were necessary now. The pitch this caravan was hauling was necessary for their torches, and a few bandages wouldn't go the wrong way, should there be medical provisions within as well. The mercenaries would provide Aoshi and Misao with throwing knives, invaluable in hunting.

He made the necessary motions to ensure Yahiko and Misao knew not to interfere, then waited a few moments in a silence so complete he could hear Kaoru's steady breathing above him. She was surprisingly unperturbed, at least until he remembered that this was likely not a completely unfamiliar situation for one whose work usually happened under the cover of darkness. She'd gone so far as to don her complete costume, hooded cloak and all, for reasons he could not discern. It wasn't as though he cared to know, anyway.

Right on cue, the rumbling of a cart could be heard, along with the steady beats that indicated a horse's hooves. Several horses, actually. A few seconds later, it was visible, and Kenshin reacted instantly, stepping out into the middle of the road so that the caravan would have to stop to avoid hitting him. Sometimes, they didn't, and needless to say, he was quite… enthusiastic in his pillaging of those.

The driver of this one, however, seemed to have some common decency at least, and the cart hauled to a stop a few yards from his location. "Wha' the hell- oh no! Guards, come 'ere! I told you 'e'd be 'ere!" The man in the driver's seat, a short, balding fellow without a trace of body fat on his skinny limbs, gesticulated wildly, mostly in Kenshin's direction. This was common enough, anyway; he seemed to be recognized these days. Good for scaring people into submission, not so good for remaining hidden from Shishio. Then again, most of the reports also put him at around seven feet tall and with a hulking musculature, so he ultimately wasn't too concerned.

Interrupting the man's rant as the guards hastened to obey his command, Kenshin raised his voice slightly to be heard over the clanking of swords and armor. "Leave us your supplies, and you will go unharmed."

The driver snorted, apparently emboldened by the fact that his mercenaries had been alerted, and unaware that Kenshin could have killed him ten times by now and disappeared into the forest without a trace. "You kiddin'? Lord Takeda would have me flayed alive if I showed up without the supplies. Get 'im!"

Five overlarge men charged Kenshin, who simply rolled his eyes inwardly, not betraying even a twitch otherwise. _They always attack… _Quicker than any of them could see, he drew his sword and left three of them with shallow but disabling wounds. The other two were dispatched with no less ease He noted that Aoshi had taken out another three, and four more had black arrows protruding from shoulders and legs, carefully-placed, nonlethal wounds, he observed. The woman was certainly skilled, and Kenshin could not refuse to admit that to himself. _Still…_

His thoughts in that direction ceased when he heard a harsh yell, a child's yell. Mentally cursing, he remembered that there were fifteen guards in total, which left three unaccounted for, the driver presently occupying himself by cowering in fear atop his seat. The shout had come from the other side of the wagon, which was currently obstructing both Kenshin's view and Kaoru's line of sight. Aoshi was further afield still, having chased down at least one man who had tried to flee. Normally, this would not have been necessary, but they were actually quite close to a town, and the group didn't need the entire local militia to show up.

Kenshin bolted towards the sound, leaping over more than a few downed soldiers, but the second he saw what was going on, he knew it was too late. Misao was laid out on the floor, bleeding from a broken nose and powerless to help Yahiko, who was an instant away from meeting the sharp end of a sword, the distance between them too great for even Kenshin to cross. The expression of horror on the boy's face was something Kenshin would never forget, burned into his mind at that moment, reminding him too much of the faces of children he had seen during his time on Crusade. This time though, the face was a familiar one, one that Kenshin cared for personally. And just like Misao, he was powerless to stop what was happening.

* * *

Sanosuke forgot when he'd first started following the caravan. He wasn't even following it, exactly. They just… happened to be going in the same direction. He'd considered trying to hire on, but that particular wagon was the property of Lord Kanryuu Takeda, and even Sano had standards.

Sometimes, being a mercenary with moral standards really bit it. Then again, better than being a merc _without _morals. Sano gulped from the flagon of alcohol he was carrying, bought with his last few coins back… somewhere. He wasn't exactly sure when he'd picked up drinking either, come to think of it. Whatever. Certainty was for peasants and nobles, not the folks in the middle. If you were a peasant, you could be certain that you were going to die miserably in your ramshackle home, but at least you'd be around people that loved you. If you were a noble, you got to die miserably in your luxurious castle, surrounded by people that were pushing the dagger in deeper.

But if you were anything else, the only thing you knew for sure was that you were going to die. _Damn. _Sanosuke swished the flagon absently, and found it nearly empty. He hadn't realized he'd consumed that much already. At one point (unsurprisingly, he couldn't remember exactly _when_), that much alcohol would have seen him passed out on the floor, probably snoring peacefully. Now, it just made him think about depressing things.

Tossing the cheap flagon over his shoulder, he smiled with satisfaction when it crashed to the ground behind him, shattering. Sometimes, breaking stuff was unspeakably freeing.

Realizing somewhat belatedly that he'd actually stopped in the middle of the road and that the caravan had gone ahead without him, he hastened his steps a little. Why he cared, he couldn't say, but those thugs were the first company he'd had in too long. Since he nearly got arrested for barfighting a few towns back, in fact. That one had nearly sent him to the prisons, but he'd managed to hightail it out of there before anything major occurred. Since then, he'd bought supplies from other travelers, but that would have to change soon, now that he was officially broke. He'd considered stopping in to see Kamatari in Nottingham, but decided against it. Their new sheriff was supposedly the type that might actually care if you had an outstanding warrant or two.

Rounding the corner, he was surprised to see that there was a full combat situation going on. Raising an eyebrow, he decided that he really needed to lay off the booze, because he hadn't even heard anything of it. Now, though, he could make out the occasional cry of pain as one of Takeda's men gained a new wound and fell to the ground. He briefly considered joining the fight just because it might give him something to do, but it was clearly pretty wrapped up, and he didn't know who anyone was besides.

Or at least that had been his decision until he saw the big guy sneaking up on a couple of kids. That wasn't acceptable in Sano's little manual of personal rules, not by a long shot. Hastening over to the kids, he nearly flinched when a large fist connected with the girl's nose, sending her flying back onto the ground. _She'll be lucky if that ain't broken. _Still, it wasn't life-threatening, unlike what was about to happen to the boy.

The kid realized what was happening a bit too late and let out a cry, the sword rushing for his gut. For a second, the mercenary swore that it was not some unknown kid he saw before him, but himself, quite some years ago and scared out of his mind by his first battlefield. But the image eventually resolved itself, and he saw the scared kid agiain, fully conscious of what was about to happen. _No way, not happening, _Sano thought, intercepting the flat side of the blade with a fist thrown surprisingly straight for his present level of intoxication. The sword diverted enough to score the kid's side instead of running him through, but it would still hurt like hell. He followed up with another fist, this one to the guy's neck, and his opponent collapsed, gasping for air.

He turned to meet the other two, only to find that one was being mowed over by a man with red hair, and the other had a couple of black-shafted arrows sticking out of his limbs. _Remind me not to pick a fight with these people, _Sanosuke remarked to himself wryly.

The man stopped short of attacking him, however, and regarded him steadily for a moment with gold-colored eyes. _Huh, that's kind weird. _Still, there was a quality to them that Sano could appreciate. This guy had seen more than his fair share of fights, and all he had to show for it was a criss-crossed scar on his face.

"I'm guessin' you're the guy they call Hood," the merc said casually.

* * *

Kenshin could smell the alcohol on the man's breath even from this distance, but despite this, he did not have the same scent as an full-fledged drunkard. The guy was perhaps as tall as Aoshi, but had the distinct swagger of a mercenary about him. Judging from the dirty clothes and besmirched face, he hadn't been employed in a while.

_Thug. _And yet, this man was not so easily dismissed, it seemed. Though he carried himself like a common brawler, there was also a quiet assurance in the easy movement, a sign of someone who was well-trained, and knew how to handle himself. The two impressions were so contradictory that Kenshin found himself temporarily baffled.

"I'm guessin' you're the guy they call Hood," the man said, and Kenshin gave a curt nod.

"I am." He was curious to see what this odd individual would do with the information. He could run and try to take it to the next village and attempt to get a reward for it, but this didn't seem likely. No, this man was more likely to fight Kenshin himself, for the good it would do his reputation.

So when the spiky-haired man simply shrugged, Kenshin raised an eyebrow. Surely there was more to the question than simple curiosity? "Look, I ain't gonna report ya or anything, but if you wanna grab these supplies and go, now might be a good time. These guys are gonna need medical attention, and so are the runts." If he disapproved of the children's presence, the mercenary did not indicate it, but merely set to helping Aoshi remove crates from the wagon.

Kenshin himself made his way over to Yahiko, picking the unconscious boy up and leveling a heated glare at Misao, whose nose, though bleeding, did not appear to be broken after all. She visibly quailed, and he turned away. There would be time enough to punish them for disobedience later. Right now, Yahiko needed a doctor. Kenshin knew a man who might be able to help, but he was another half-day away, and he would need someone to help him staunch the bleeding. Unfortunately, Aoshi and Misao were otherwise occupied, which left him with only one option.

* * *

Kaoru gritted her teeth beneath her mask as she pulled arrows from injured mercenaries. There was absolutely no justice in what they had just done. None at all, and she was more than a little shamed that she had used her Watchman's arrows to do it. This was common robbery, no doubt about it. The tavern tales painted Hood as the sort of man who robbed only the unjust, and delivered mercy to those who asked for it or deserved it. Not this. This was simply… wrong, and far too brutal. These men were the ones truly damaged by their deed, not their wealthy employer. Sure, Lord what's-his-name might lose a few supplies, but these men might lose their jobs, or even their lives for their failure. How was that helping anything?

She yanked an arrow perhaps too hard from one man's arm, and he yelped. She didn't apologize, still conscious that her voice was not a man's even now, but she could not help feeling angry that people would now associate the Night Watchman with this… thievery. It made her feel more than a little sick inside, and she prayed fervently her father would never hear of it.

Kaoru was contemplating telling Kenshin exactly what she thought of his little operation when she saw him walking towards her and bit her tongue. He was carrying Yahiko, and the boy did not look good. She'd been unable to fire, blocked by the wagon itself, until the second of the three men surrounding him had moved. The archer would have to remember to thank the man who had saved him from worse.

"Help me dress his wound," Kenshin said tersely, and for once her anger did not flare to life. Whatever else was true of the redhead, it was clear he had some measure of affection for the child under his care. So she nodded just as shortly and followed him to a crate that had been set aside by Aoshi a few moments earlier. Realizing that it held medical supplies, she rummaged through it while Kenshin laid Yahiko down on the ground, careful not to disturb the gash in his side.

Bandaging the boy was a two-person job, and one carried out in near-complete silence. Kaoru had some basic knowledge of how to treat a wound, since helping her father when he came home injured had been her task since she had discovered what he did at nighttime. So she disinfected the wound first, not faltering even when the half-awake Yahiko flinched away and squirmed. Then, she made Kenshin hold him down by the shoulders while she applied a basic poultice and worked clean white bandages around his abdomen. She was close enough to feel Kenshin's breath on the side of her neck as she worked around his hands in wrapping the gauze, but she barely even noticed it.

"It's done," she said simply, sliding Yahiko's tunic back down his torso.

"Thank you," the swordsman replied, and only when she turned her head to meet his gaze with surprise did she realize their proximity. There was a split second of silence, during which she was caught in an amber stare that held something more than she had first estimated. Was that… _kindness_? Kenshin must have cared more for his companions than she had thought, for the normally cold man to be showing her of all people this odd facet of himself. She was nearly entranced by it for just an instant, but Kaoru remembered herself and backed up, standing a little too swiftly.

"Er… of course." She replied, slightly awkwardly. What the heck was _wrong _with her? It was almost as though she were _nervous _or something. She, who had been staring death in the face and laughing at it on a regular basis for the last year of her life. "But he'll need a proper doctor, one with the right supplies."

Kenshin's eyes reverted to the way she was used to seeing them, and he inclined his head in acknowledgement. "I know someone, but it will be another half a day at least."

Frowning, Kaoru wondered if Yahiko could handle that much, especially if the pace would be anything like the one they had kept the day before. Kenshin probably shouldn't be carrying him that fast for that long either. "Put him on Hagane," she supplied, then continued when she realized it probably sounded like an order. "Misao can ride with him, and the rest of us can carry a few supplies. We'll make better time."

"Very well." His quick acquiescence surprised her, but she tried not to let it show too much as she removed her knives and a few other items from the horse's back and stowed them on her own person. All that remained was the cooking pot, dishes, and a few utensils, plus everyone else's bedrolls, which were quite light. She stacked them off to the side a bit, and helped Misao up first.

"Whoa," the girl started uncertainly. "I don't know if I can keep my balance on this thing." She clutched the saddle desperately, and Kaoru smiled under her mask.

"Don't worry, we'll be going pretty slowly, and I'll walk next to you. Just remember to keep a hold of Yahiko." She picked up the small boy with only a little difficulty, and she and Misao were able to maneuver him so that he sat in front of the girl, pressed against her back solidly. He stirred a little, but Misao quickly soothed him back to sleep.

"You two are close, aren't you?" Kaoru asked, seeing the gesture.

The other girl rolled her eyes in mock frustration. "He's like my annoying little brother," she replied, though her expression morphed into one of worry. "He'll be okay, won't he?"

"Of course he will." Kaoru just hoped that they could reach this doctor friend of Kenshin's in enough time to be sure of that.

_

* * *

Well, it was a little on the short side, but I think a lot of important things happened here, don't you? And before anyone is like "Sano's not a drunk!" just understand that there is a very good reason for his present state of despondency, one that will come out in later chapters. As you can see, I've taken a few liberties with characters/styles/professions, but it's AU, so I think I get to. As long as they aren't OOC for the situation they're in, it should be fine. Let me know if you think they are, though, because I really do take feedback to heart._

_Also, I realize that this is nearly a week late; I apologize, but that's probably how it's going to have to be from now on. I will attempt to update once every two weeks, but school has started and this will probably be the worst/busiest semester of my life, so sorry in advance. I will not quit, though, so don't worry about that. You should all actually thank Pterion for the fact that this is out today instead of, say, next Wednesday. (I'm thanking you too, that was much-needed motivation, and you're not creepy at all (^.^))_

_Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and the next one will likely contain Gensai, Megumi, and Takeda, so be on the lookout for that._

_~Kiku~_

_

* * *

I heart reviews. Who knows? You might end up with your name at the beginning of a chapter!_


	7. Chapter 6: Injury and Indecency

_A/N: I feel like an awful person for giving you a six-page chapter when you're used to ten, especially since I now take twice as long to write them. Unfortunately, I have about 100 or so pages of reading to do every night for all my classes, plus a job and stuff. So, hopefully you all will forgive me and continue to read. I truly appreciate it, even if I do a terrible job at showing it._

_This one's for… let's go with Delierio599 and Crau-san, just 'cause. Thanks for the reviews!_

* * *

Chapter 6: Injury and Indecency

_For the citizens of Meiji, religion is at best a minor consideration. The land itself is considered mostly secular, though different sets of beliefs have immigrated with the people who hold them from lands to all sides. As with all other things, religious considerations are secondary to loyalty to one's liege. The religion the king practices, then, is given the status of "state" religion, though in practice this means very little change for anyone else, since few kings have declared their beliefs exclusive._

_The most common worship is of the One Who is Many, a deity imported from the South. Merely one of several figures in the southern pantheon, the One is looked upon as sole or most important to Her followers in Meiji itself._

_The mysterious nature-God of the Western Wilds had also found a home in small clusters of our country's population. Most of the disciples of the Nameless take up a life of religious solitude much as the Western Tribesman often choose to do. Therefore, it is uncommon to find one of the priests of this order in an ordinary town setting; they must be actively sought if they are to be found._

_Still other citizens adhere to various forms of superstition or ancestor-worship, all of which have a place in the cities and towns scattered about the country. Several of these tradition are prone to mixing; it is not, for example, rare to find a worshiper of the One who also pays respect to his forebears. _

* * *

Gensai watched as his apprentice treated the small girl's cut, offering a word here or there when she did something that was not quite correct. He had to admit, Megumi was doing well. Only a year had she been under his tutelage, and already she had the makings of a fine physician.

The two of them watched the patient leave with her relieved-looking mother, the owner of the town's small bakery, and waved after the pair. Sometimes, being a doctor was the most rewarding job in the world, or at least the old man thought so. Bu the look in his student's dark eyes seemed troubled. This in itself wasn't all that unusual; the good doctor knew something of her history, and it was enough to understand that the young woman, barely past her twenty-first year, had a good deal to reflect on and regret even at so young an age.

"Megumi, would you like some tea?" he asked kindly, not entirely surprised when the girl shook her head.

"I'm fine, thank you doctor." Her voice betrayed her melancholy as well as her face did, and he wondered for a moment how she'd ever fooled anyone. Then again, most of the people she had lived around before had no need to take note of anything but a pretty face, their own egos too large to look for any meaning in it.

He was not the same, but still he would not pry. "Very well then. If you wouldn't mind assisting an old man, we could get these things cleaned up, and then you are free to go for today." He was about to make his way back inside his small, well-kept house when he heard something. A war veteran's ears were not without sharpness, even though the all-pervading cloud of age might dull them somewhat, and he stopped. People, and at least on hoofed animal.

"Doctor Gensai-" Megumi began, pointing, but the old man was two steps ahead, and his hand went to the knife at his belt, a thing of utility, yes, but a weapon if need-be. He was not a violent person by any means, but nothing that came from that direction was ever good, or at least nothing he had encountered in quite some time. The forest was not too far from his home, and though it was dangerous to live in such a location, it was better for his back and old bones should he need to visit the woods to collect herbs for medicines.

As time passed, though, and the figures before them resolved into view, his stance relaxed somewhat. That head of bright red hair was quite the recognizable trait, especially if one knew to whom it famously belonged. "My word, it's Pr-" the title was abruptly cut off as the man it belonged to shook his head minutely. _Odd, I've only ever known him to travel with Lord Aoshi. _

In truth, the last time the two had met was two years prior, when Gensai had aided the fugitive prince and his retainer in their escape from The Usurper. That had been the day Gensai retired from his life as a guardsman and returned secretly to his native village, where he took up his other profession, one he'd been trained for since before he ever held a blade, and one, he privately believed, he was much more suited to.

"Kenshin," he said cautiously, sure that at least this was appropriate, if still a little offensive to his commoner's sensibilities, "to what do I owe the pleasure?" It seemed that Lord Aoshi was indeed present, but accompanying him also was A very tall, rough-looking man, two children on a horse, and a slender woman in a black cloak that struck a familiar chord in the old man's memory.

"Gensai," the other replied with his customary directness, "can you heal this boy?" The doctor's eyes returned to the horse, where one of the riders- less a child than a young woman- was apparently handing the other to the cloaked lady. This one carried the boy, who was no older than twelve, he supposed, over towards the man and his apprentice, brilliant blue eyes filled with concern.

He was again struck by something vaguely familiar about this woman, something he could not place. He did not have time to ponder it further, however, as there was a patient in need of his attention.

Beckoning them all inside, he gestured for the boy to be laid upon his floor, and examined the wound carefully. "Whoever bandaged him did a good job," he said at last. "His wounds will not be fatal because of it, and also because, I think, this one has a strong will to live." In truth, while shallow, the wound _could _have bled out, and they were quite lucky it had not.

Quietly, Gensai relayed instructions to Megumi on how to care for the boy. At Kenshin's skeptical look, he shook his head. "My apprentice is as much a doctor as I, and her hands do not shake as mine do." The reply to the unasked question seemed to satisfy the swordsman, and he sat back without another word.

"So tell me, how is it that you have come to travel in such… varied company?" the doctor asked slowly, unsure how solid the ground upon which he was treading might turn out to be.

Kenshin's eyes flashed as his gaze shifted to his companions for a second, particularly the black-clad young woman, and for a moment the doctor was afraid he must have overstepped his bounds. "Much has happened since we last spoke," he replied, with a look that made it clear that he did not wish to discuss the topic further at present.

Whatever else Gensai was, he was no fool, and thus he let the subject drop, woefully unexplored. His apprentice soon spoke up, however. "I'm done for now. A few days' bedrest and he'll be good as new." A ghost of relief passed over the former prince's face, only to be replaced with something harder, as though it had never been present at all.

"Very well. I will leave him in your care, and return in two days."

The likely response never came, as there was a commotion to be heard outside the door. Male voices, several of them, exchanging heated words, accompanied by the characteristic clinking sounds of imperial armor.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but Gensai was quick to ward off the accusation he saw in them. "I would not have had the time to inform them of your presence," he said evenly, trying not to show that he was somewhat offended by the very notion. The glare faded, and the doctor received a nod in response. Not quite an apology, but an acknowledgement at least.

"You should leave," Megumi urged, and Gensai wondered for a moment if she would recognize Kenshin. Surely it wouldn't be too hard, famous as he once had been, at least in the circles she had occupied. The others were commoners; never having seen the face of the crown prince was not a circumstance to be unexpected for them.

Apparently, Kenshin either knew this himself or did not care, for he simply stood, and beckoned for the rest of his group to follow him out the back door. Yahiko he took in his arms, and Gensai sighed inwardly. The boy really did need a few days without the constant exertion of travelling, but he supposed that it was for the best. If the group had been discovered, it was too much of a risk to leave a member of it here.

Ushering them all out, he left his apprentice to attend to the front door. Only later would he realize what a mistake this had been.

* * *

Kaoru had simply assumed that the little band would go back to make sure the doctor was okay. Apparently, this was a false assumption, and it was not sitting well with her.

The realization came early the next morning, when the group began to pack their belongings for travel as usual, excepting the fact that the one who called himself Sano was not around.

"Hold on," she said pointedly. "Didn't the doctor say that Yahiko needed bedrest? We can't just move him like this!"

Kenshin shook his head, regarding her with what she took to be an air of condescension, as though she were a small child who had missed an obvious point. "If the soldiers come into the woods, he will be more at risk than he is now," the man stated tonelessly. "We have to leave."

"Wait, what?" the woman returned, incredulous. "What about Doctor Gensai and Miss Megumi? We can't just _leave_ without making sure they're okay!" she was doing a lot of yelling this morning, it seemed, but she wasn't about to leave the point unmade. The old man and his apprentice had helped them escape from the soldiers last night; there was no way anyone should be okay with leaving the favor unreturned, not even a thief.

"We're putting them more at risk by remaining in the area," Aoshi put in calmly, but the complete lack of concern in his tone only served to make Kaoru even angrier.

"How can you say that? What put them _in danger _was us leaving them in the first place! how could those soldiers have been meant for us, when there was no way anybody could have known we were in town? I understand that you're infamous, but there's no way anybody watches a bandit that closely." Who did he think he was anyway? The king?

She looked to the other two for signs of agreement. Misao simply shook her head, as though resigned to this sort of behavior, but Sano was looking at her appraisingly. At length, he too spoke his piece. "I dunno much about what's goin' on here, but it seems to me that the Missy's got a point about the soldiers at least."

_Thank you! _Kaoru celebrated internally. At least _someone _around here was capable of looking beyond themselves for once. She shifted her blue-eyed stare back to Kesnhin, who shook his head slightly. "Have you forgotten Yahiko already?"

"I'll look after him," came Misao's voice, and all eyes shifted to her for a moment. She smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head with one arm. "Sorry, but I think she's right. We really should make sure they're okay. They saved Yahiko, after all."

Kenshin sighed inwardly. He had known this woman was going to be a problem, but it appeared to be going beyond even what he had expected. She was turning his band of self-interested thieves who worked only to survive and take care of each other into some kind of… vigilante group. He wasn't an entirely selfish soul, but he was a practical one, and he knew this would do no good for their chances of survival.

He looked to Aoshi, who shook his head minutely as if to say that he was on his own in this decision. Sometimes, his Second's silence said more than his words, and he knew that despite the earlier comment, Aoshi was fully in favor of what Kaoru was proposing.

And something in him was beginning to ask if merely _surviving _was enough, when it meant leaving behind an ally to potential danger. _Damn. _That woman's infernal logic was beginning to get to him.

"Fine. Misao, stay here and tend to Yahiko. The rest of you, come with me." He did not miss the broad smile that settled over Kaoru's features, though he chose to ignore the accompanying shift in his own mood that accompanied it. There was simply no way that seeing her smile made him feel in any way happier himself. Not at all.

* * *

Not an hour later, the four of them were once again in front of the doctor's home, and this time the man who met them was not the sturdy retired military officer that they'd encountered before, but a distraught old man with nobody else to turn to.

"Please," he said, managing somehow to retain his dignity though his word were just short of begging. "You must help Megumi. She has been taken by Lord Takeda's men." Kenshin felt Aoshi stiffen beside him. Lord Takeda had been among those offering Kenshin false support two years ago, not to mention the fact that his family and Aoshi's had a somewhat antagonistic history, dating back several generations. Aoshi himself might have ignored this, but the other man had been so foolish as to kill some of the tall man's subordinates in what was officially termed a "training accident" but was in reality a very calculated move to won favor with Shishio.

Before Kenshin could react, Sano was speaking. "Where did they take her?" he asked purposefully, and the redhead had a feeling that whether or not he agreed to help, both Sano and Aoshi would certainly attempt a rescue mission. There was no question as to what Kaoru would do, so it seemed he had little choice in the matter.

"The guardhouse," the old man replied. As the four of them turned to leave, his voice called out behind them. "You should know: Megumi once worked for Lord Takeda, and the circumstances in which she left him were… unfortunate. He will likely take a personal interest in her capture." Which was to say, if Takeda wasn't here now, he would be soon.

_Somehow, that doesn't surprise me, _Kenshin thought grimly.


	8. Chapter 7: Unrepentant and Unforgiven

_A/N: Okay, so I really can't remember who I've dedicated chapters to and who I haven't. So, if you want your name up here, just say so. I don't care if it's already been there, either: my reviewers are awesome enough that they can have two if they want. Just because I said so. Enjoy, folks!_

* * *

Chapter 7: Unrepentant and Unforgiving

_

* * *

Once, magic was a guiding force of all the nations on our continent. Every citizen possessed the hidden potential to manipulate the world around them with their own energies, and the result was a peaceful way of life._

_But men, they grow selfish, and it was not long before some cam to want more than they had, and the legends say it was at this time, the time of the first wars and divisions, that magic began to dwindle. More and more children were born without the Gift, and the world had to work hard to overcome its dependence on it._

_There is much speculation as to the cause of this decline. Some say that as man invented more technology, magic became less necessary and simply faded away. Others say that the greed of mankind forced the gods to take away the gift they had granted, that men might not use it for wholesale slaughter._

_You wish to know the real reason? Well, I cannot give it to you, for nobody truly knows the answer. What do I think? I think that people have grown weak, complacent. I think that everyone still has the same capacity that they once had, but that they simply cannot achieve the discipline necessary to use it. There are those among us who are still mages, even to this day. Their magic is not called the Gift, though, but ki, and it is speculated that the god who keeps this particular gift alive is the Nameless, guardian of the Western Wilds, and that it is through him that those who learn his arts may use it even now._

* * *

Kaoru ghosted silently through the narrow alleyways surrounding the guardhouse, Aoshi not too far behind. The two of them had been sent in first to do a survey of the general area, so as to help formulate a plan for Megumi's rescue. It would be a bad idea to attempt anything quite yet, unfamiliar as all of them were with the layout of this town.

It was still early morning, and though light was beginning to filter even into these dank, dark spaces that smelled of decay, the shadows were plentiful, and it was to these shifting guardians that Kaoru and Aoshi entrusted themselves, moving fluidly between unlit areas so as to remain unseen. Their feet made no noise on the cobblestone streets as they furtively made their way closer to the guardhouse, central point of their investigation.

The black-haired woman immediately stopped short at the murmur of voices, and it was not long before the tall man was at her shoulder, just as still. The two strained their ears to hear what was being said, but it was inaudible. Shaking her head, the one known as Night Watchman made a truncated hand gesture and slunk forward a little more, pausing to peer around a corner, and made a dash for the back side of the building itself, pressing her form up against the wall so that she would not be visible through the window.

Aoshi followed soon after, positioning himself on the other side of the slightly-open window, through which the voices could be heard more clearly.

"-set the execution for noon, can you believe it?" The first voice was young and male, a police officer, perhaps.

"Eh, beats me kid." This voice was lower, raspier with age, and sounded somewhere between bored and resigned.

"But why would Lord Takeda do that? Doesn't she get a trial or anything?" The younger man persisted, apparently bothered by something.

"Look, Gin, I'm telling you: Takeda does what he wants, when he wants, for his own reasons. You don't have to like it, you just have to follow orders. If he says she dies at noon today, we hang her not a moment later. It's just the way it goes." Footsteps accompanied this statement as the two men moved away from the glass and down the hallway.

Outside, worried blue eyes bored into a much calmer pair, and Aoshi indicated that they should leave. Kaoru was reluctant, but realized the two of them would not likely be able to rescue Megumi on their own. Still, noon was cutting it awfully close. What had the doctor's apprentice done that could earn her such a swift execution? Gensai had said she was once in Takeda's employ, but… there had to be more to the story than that.

* * *

Megumi Takani sat in the dank, dirty cell that had been provided for her and attempted to weather her fate with as much grace as she could muster. In all practicality, she should have known that this was coming. One did not cross Kanryuu Takeda and get away with it; she understood this fact better than most.

Perhaps she was getting what she deserved. There was no use pretending she was some morally upstanding sort like Doctor Gensai. Though she had been apprenticed to the kindly old man for a year, she had only just started to believe that there might be a future for one such as herself. Perhaps, she had thought, she might be able to find some fragment of redemption in helping people as her surrogate father was teaching her to do.

Alas, such optimistic things were not hers to think, much less grasp with her own two hands. Megumi's world had been one of deceit and betrayal from the very beginning. She'd defied her place in the order of things, thought to attach herself to the powerful Kanryuu in hopes of gaining some of that power for herself. Not content with being the daughter of a seamstress, she'd learned the wiles and ways of court ladies, wormed her way into that life by passing herself off as a lesser noble's distant relative, a position just high enough to make her a suitable concubine.

But she had become so much more than that. When Kanryuu had discovered her talent for extracting information by wit alone, he'd set her to work as his spy as well, and she'd done so very well at it. In the end, her acts had begun to make her sick, but she was too far ensnared to be free. By some cruel twist of fate, she'd actually grown to love the man who kept her prisoner, and it was only when he'd asked her to do the unthinkable, to seduce the crown prince himself, that she had found the strength to refuse.

To think that she'd believed herself free of him at last. When the guards had come, she'd known it was not for their strange guests, but for her. And she'd gone without a fight, resolved at least to not allow the good doctor to become involved. If that was to be the last decision she ever got to make, she wished it to be the right one.

A small sigh escaped her lips as she leaned her head back against the wall behind her. It surely would not be too long now… he would come for her, and then she would be killed for her betrayal. She wondered briefly which she feared more, but the answer was obvious enough.

* * *

Kenshin knew the news was bad as soon as the two scouts made it back. Aoshi shook his head silently, the answer evident enough in the way he stood. Kaoru's eyes were quite obviously worried, and she was biting her lower lip pensively.

"She's to be executed at noon," Aoshi reported without preamble, "what would you have us do?" Kenshin heard the words, but his eyes were fixed on Kaoru, who was looking down at her hands as though she saw something of considerable interest there. _What is she thinking_, he wondered, and then shook his head. He shouldn't care, after all.

Still, there was something about the troubled expression she wore that made him hate it. She shouldn't look so defeated. Anyone who had the guts to stand up to him as she did should always be full of fire and determination, not standing about meekly with eyes downcast.

He was so caught up in the thought that he almost missed what Sano said next. "Well, then we go break her out before they can do that," he asserted boldly, clearly already decided himself.

"No," Kenshin replied steadily, watching Kaoru for any response. There was none, and he frowned. "We wait until they remove her from the prison, and rescue her then."

That had done it. The woman's head snapped up, and she regarded him carefully, as though trying to decide if her were serious. "Do you mean that?" she asked quietly, and he nodded, slightly irritated. He never said things he did not mean. The irritation vanished swiftly, though, as the fire flooded back into her eyes and she smiled.

Satisfied, he turned to Aoshi, who was watching him with an unreadable expression on his face. When Kenshin shot a questioning look at his Second, the man merely shrugged. He would not protest, but neither would he reveal his thoughts. So be it.

"All right, here's how we do this…"

* * *

Kaoru sat perched on the roof of one of the buildings overlooking the town square and the gallows. It was slowly filling with people; those who had come to see the execution of the doctor's apprentice, and those who had come to sell their wares. Death was a booming business in Meiji these days, and it sickened Kaoru to see it. Not so much the merchants as the spectators though; who could just stand there and _watch _an execution? Some people had even brought their children, for goodness's sake!

She shifted slightly in her crouch, unused to this getup. Kenshin had suggested she borrow some of Misao's clothing, which she had agreed to. She was truthfully uncertain if she wanted the Night Watchman associated with the Hood, given what had occurred a few days ago. This seemed just, but you never really knew with Kenshin, or at least she didn't. At any rate, she was now in a plain brown pair of trousers and a dark blue tunic, long white sleeves underneath to stave off the chill. She really missed her cloak and mask right about now, though, and felt exposed, even though no one would see her.

Blowing on her hands to keep them from getting stiff, she waited. The plan was to get Megumi out of there as soon as she was removed from the prison wagon, but she was unsure how well that would work given the crowd. Kaoru herself was backup; should the swordsmen and Sano be unable to reach the woman in time, it would be her responsibility to hold off the guards until they did.

Presently, she heard jeers from the crowd and the heavy rolling of wagon wheels as the lumbering cart approached the square. Megumi was standing, hands chained together, in the center of an open cart. The townspeople gathered yelled obscenities or catcalls; a few even spat at her, but Megumi did not stir, empty gaze fixed forward. Kaoru felt her ire rise, that these people could be so cruel to one whose crime had not even been named, much less tried fairly!

_Kenshin… where are you? _Casting her glance around, she spotted three cloaked figures at the edge of the crowd, and a small glimpse of bright red hair brought a smile to her face. They had made it, good.

Her eyes were drawn away when a tall, thin man who looked a little sickly approached the platform of the gallows to draw the attention of the crowd.

"Good citizens!" he addressed in a grandiose tone, and she figured this must be the infamous Lord Takeda. "Attend to my words! Before you stands a woman of the worst kind, a liar, a cheat, and a whore! She has betrayed her king, and in doing so, has committed the gravest of all crimes: treason! Now, she will face justice. Watch, and know that the same fate awaits all those who plot against King Shishio!" His speech done, Takeda stepped back, but not off the platform, as Megumi was led up, unresisting.

"Do you have any final words, traitor?" He asked, at only a slightly lower volume. Megumi appeared to regard him steadily, and Kaoru could swear she saw sadness there, as though Megumi had lost something important. It didn't make any sense; she should be seething, as Kaoru knew _she_ was.

"I am no betrayer," Megumi spoke calmly, which only seemed to rile the crowd more, and another round of jeers went through the assembled group.

_Come on, Kenshin, you're running out of time! _Kaoru readied her bow, nocking a plain arrow to the string, something they'd taken from the wagon supplies. She only had about ten though, which meant she couldn't do this alone.

Luckily, it was as they were forcing Megumi closer to the noose that she saw her chance. Kenshin and the others were going to need a distraction, and she fully intended on providing them with one. Drawing the bowstring, she took aim and fired two arrows at once, still crouched. Both landed squarely at Takeda's feet, and she swiftly ducked down so as to remain unseen.

* * *

The result was instantaneous panic. A woman screamed, and people started milling about haphazardly. Takeda started yelling for order, but the mob was beyond control, and so he yelled at his guards instead, only to find that they were in a heap on the floor, three cloaked and hooded men standing over them. One was rubbing his wrist absently, as though he'd punched too hard. _Wait… he took out my men with… his fists!_

Of the remaining two, the taller he recognized immediately. "Shinomori…" he growled. He remembered Shinomori well enough, but he wasn't the important one here. No, if Lord Aoshi of House Shinomori was present, that meant… Kanryuu's gaze shifted to the third man.

"You!" It came out as more of an exclamation than a question, and Kanryuu felt his feet moving backwards against his will. Those eyes… molten gold, unblinking eyes. There was murder in those eyes, and Takeda knew he had it coming. He had been key in orchestrating the failed assassination attempt, after all, the one that had resulted in the death of this man's betrothed.

Kanryuu Takeda was not a brave man, and he was not going to stand around and fight, especially not when he knew his opponents outclassed him. He was, however, vindictive. "Hang her!" he yelled at the remaining guard, who slipped the noose over Megumi's neck. Backing up to the lever that would release the floor, he placed his hand on it, followed the entire time by those damned eyes.

"You wouldn't attack me now, would you, your highness? Not while I have her life in my grip." But the redheaded man merely smirked, and took a step onto the stairs leading up to the platform that Kanryuu, Megumi, and the remaining guard occupied.

"S-stop!" Kanryuu shrieked. "You'll be responsible for her death! You don't want her blood on your hands, do you?"

The once-prince shook his head derisively. "I have more blood on my hands than you can imagine, Takeda, and there will be more before my life is up." He took another step, now on the platform with Kanryuu and still advancing, hand on the hilt of his sword.

The lordling's eyes went wide, and he tripped backwards, depressing the lever in an attempt to stop himself from falling. With a _thunk, _the floor fell out from beneath Megumi's feet, and Kanryuu looked on in horror. There was no way they were going to spare him now.

Just as he had this thought, an arrow came whistling through the air, followed swiftly by two more, one of them alight with some strange luminescence. Ki magic, he recognized with some trepidation. Together, the three arrows severed the rope holding Megumi, and she fell to the ground, no longer in danger of suffocating, and the smirk on Kenshin's face grew into a bloodthirsty smile.

From his position on the ground, Kanryuu shuffled away as fast as he was able, but he was transfixed by the malevolence he could see in the golden eyes, alight with the same magic. "D-demons," he stuttered, unable to form the right words. "P-p-please… have mercy….mercy!" he shouted, covering his face with his hands, even as the blade was raised to strike.

* * *

Kaoru watched in horror as Kenshin raised his sword. "No!" she shouted, but there was little she could do to stop the act. She'd used the last of her arrows to free Megumi, the others having gone to pinning guards who were about to charge in on the scene.

She closed her eyes, but not so quickly that she did not see the sword sprout from Takeda's back. The image was accompanied by an upheaval of her stomach, and Kaoru struggled not to retch.

The aftermath was immediate. Those few civilians that remained lost hold of their rationality and fled unseeing into the streets beyond the scene. Megumi looked about as sick as Kaoru felt, and it wasn't long before Sano was at her side, tugging at her elbow to get her to move, glaring at Kenshin the entire time. For their parts, Aoshi and Kenshin seemed mostly unaffected, and the latter flicked the blood off his blade before resheathing it and striding decisively in the direction of the forest and Doctor Gensai's home. Kaoru followed on the rooftops, torn between feeling ill and fuming.

She knew that in times of war, killing was often unavoidable. She knew that many good people had killed, including her father. She had just never seen it done, and especially not in such a cold, ruthless fashion. It was, without embellishment, disgusting.

* * *

Kenshin arrived at the door to Gensai's house with his small band in tow. He couldn't actually see Kaoru, but he knew she was around somewhere. The question remained of what to do with Megumi. He knew that nobody had followed them to the doctor's house, which left the old man disconnected from the incident, but the same could not be said of his apprentice.

Well, that certainly wasn't his problem… though he suspected a certain blue-eyed woman would be there to tell him otherwise. Call it an instinct, but he was beginning to feel as though he would never be rid of her, try as he might. Much to his own displeasure, he found that he didn't even particularly want to try.

At this point, several things happened at once. Firstly, the good doctor answered the door, face lighting up when he saw that his apprentice was unharmed, then falling as he noted that she appeared to be in shock. He, with Sano's assistance, guided her inside so he could have a look at her even as Kaoru landed on the ground in front of Kenshin and Aoshi. Her face appeared positively thunderous, and it was just as the two men registered this that she lashed out too quickly to be seen, her open palm striking Kenshin across his scarred cheek.

"You bastard," she hissed, eyes flashing dangerously. "He begged for mercy and you killed him!" She moved to strike again, but by now the surprise had worn off and Kenshin caught her wrist in his larger hand.

Glaring, he intentionally invaded her personal space, unrelenting even when she tried to flinch away, holding her in place by not allowing his arm to move when she tugged at it. "And what would you have done?" he asked, tone low and dripping with scorn. "Spared him and then walked away? He would have come back for her, or killed the doctor if she fled. Some people _deserve _to die."

Nameless, he hated it when she refused to be intimidated! For that was exactly what she was doing now: staring right back at him with as much willpower as he, unaffected by close to the full dose of his ki aura. Even Aoshi wasn't exactly comfortable, and the rage was not directed at him. This… _woman _was grating on his nerves in a way that he would not have thought possible.

"And _you _get to play judge, jury, and executioner?" she challenged, wrenching her hand away from him and taking a step back. The space she left behind was curiously cold without her in it, but he tried to ignore this.

"I only do what is necessary to survive." His logic was plain, and it made perfect sense; so why wouldn't she just leave it alone? Kanryuu Takeda was a threat, one who knew his identity and was known to be ruthless besides. It was only because of the stubborn insistence of this girl that he'd risked himself in the first place. He'd gone out on a limb because she'd managed to convince his entire group that saving the doctor's apprentice was the 'right' thing to do.

Her eyes narrowed, and this time it was her turn to step forward. "Is that so, _your highness_?" she replied icily, the last words laced with contempt. "I had forgotten that all nobles view their lives as so much more important than anyone else's." A triumphant smile slowly worked its way across her face at his understandably surprised reaction to her words: had Takeda called him so? Yes, he must have. "So, what are you?" she questioned further, taking advantage of his stunned silence. "An earl? A duke? You must be important if your Second is a noble, too. What else could he be, with posture like that?"

It would seem there had been more giveaways than he had thought. Either this, or Kaoru was just observant. He supposed this was not impossible either, in truth, though at the moment he was loath to give her any credit he did not have to. Why, why did she have to be so cursedly _difficult?_

"I'm not going to answer to you," he replied simply, and with no small amount of arrogance. She knew what he was, but not who. He'd be damned before he'd tell her just because she asked. He turned to leave, only to catch Aoshi's questioning look and exhale gustily through his nose. "The apprentice can come with us, if need be." He was not in the mood for another altercation at the moment, especially not another one where his entire group would follow Kaoru against him.

As he walked away with his back turned, he did not notice a certain hard blue stare soften ever so slightly. He would, however, feel the sting on his cheek for another hour or so.


	9. Interlude

_For Leina-chan, as a thanks for some lovely concrit that helped inspire this Interlude as an attempt to put my characters where they belong.  
And for Daichi, just because you asked.  
_

* * *

Interlude

* * *

A few days after the death of Lord Kanryuu Takeda, and the two still weren't speaking to each other. Not in the childish, belligerent sort of way wherein they sent hateful glares at each other all the time, but perhaps more in an avoidance pattern that both were happy to fall into. Aoshi, for his part, was not too sure this wasn't childish either, but supposed that if his choice was between this and constant bickering, he'd choose this.

Then again, the bickering had a strange habit of ending with Kenshin making some kind of concession, and these were headed further and further in what his Second considered a favorable direction indeed, so perhaps this was not exactly true. Aoshi himself was glad of Kaoru's presence here, enough so that he was taking unusual (for him) measures to ensure it remained that way.

It may be said that in a sense, this was a form of disloyalty to his First, but he personally did not see it this way. Rather, the duty of a Second was always to do those things which were in the best interests of the First, and this did not necessitate the lord's acknowledgment of what was best. In Kenshin's case, it often ran contradictory. There was no mistaking, however, that Kaoru was good for Kenshin, in the sense that she was constantly challenging him, something that Aoshi had been able to do effectively only on a small number of occasions. It was messy, to a degree, and sometimes even he failed to predict exactly what the consequences might be, but at least this way, his intentions were obscured.

He found himself, therefore, observing their little group quite a great deal. Sanosuke and Megumi were unexpected additions, but both of them too had proven surprisingly valuable. Having a doctor in the group was doubtless a valuable asset, reticent as she seemed to be to involve herself too much with her immediate surroundings. Sano, on the other hand, seemed to take to their lifestyle like a fish would to water. Though he himself was not much for frivolity, he knew that someone as jovial as Sano was good for the younger members of the group, and perhaps even their contemplative physician.

Presently, he was alone by the campfire, Kenshin having wandered off, most likely to try and track down Hiko, and the rest had left to gather what food they could from the surrounding area. It would not be long before another raid was necessary, however. The expanding size of their group (which had now nearly doubled from just a few weeks prior) meant that more supplies were needed, but also that raids themselves would be easier to carry out with tactical precision.

He heard a rustling noise in the bushes behind him, and smiled to himself. As expected, the knife whistled through the air a few seconds later, and Aoshi deftly caught it in one hand without bothering to turn around.

"You'll have to do better than that, Misao," he intoned quietly, and heard a sigh from the brush. She emerged without attempting to be silent any longer, and plopped onto the log beside him.

"It's not fair," she wheedled. "You always know when I'm coming. How do you do that?" This had become something of a contest between the two of them, ever since she'd managed to convince him to teach her something of stealth and projectile weapons. She could throw a knife with excellent accuracy, he had to admit, but her stealth was quite lacking. Not surprising, given her boisterous nature: she simply was not naturally disposed to moving about in shadows as he was.

"You must be mindful of everything you do," he replied cryptically, feeling some inner amusement at the way she pouted when he did not make his meaning clear. There was silence for a few moments, and then, ever predictably (but not necessarily unfortunately) she picked up the conversation again.

"So, what do you think of all the new people?" she asked, probably not really expecting an answer. What this question really told him was that he was about to hear her views on the matter. This was fine with Aoshi; he was not overly fond of talking, but sometimes listening to Misao was… well, almost relaxing, after a fashion. She could keep a conversation going by herself without any contribution from him, and was content to do so, and he to let her. Being around her was enough to ease his often-troubled mind; what other explanation did this require?

* * *

Elsewhere, Kaoru was walking the forest floor with Yahiko, the two having decided to split off from Megumi and Sano a ways back, since they could cover more ground in search of edible plants that way. Yahiko and Megumi had more knowledge of the forest than the other two, the latter simply because she knew which plants were safe and which were not.

Kaoru glanced down to the boy beside her, apparently fully recovered from his earlier injury. He seemed a bit upset to be left out of the fight, and she supposed she understood. Still, there was a deeper question bothering her, and she wasn't exactly sure how to bring it up.

"Just ask," he said out of nowhere, as though reading her mind, and she started a bit abruptly, causing him to look up at her. "Ya keep looking over here like I'm some kinda puzzle or somethin'; ya might as well ask."

Kaoru blinked a couple of times, then smiled. The kid was abrasive, there was no denying that, but he had spirit. "Well… okay. How did you some to be here, with Kenshin and Aoshi?"

Yahiko scoffed. "You've got that question the wrong way around. What you really want to ask is how they came to be with us. Me and Misao were here first," he explained, and there was a touch of pride in his voice.

Kaoru nodded, understanding the distinction was probably important for him. "How did you meet them, then?"

Yahiko seemed to swallow, and stared at the forest floor for a moment before responding. "I've lived in this forest my whole life," he said, a trifle unsteadily. "My mom was from the Southlands, but she moved up here to get away from all the wars down there, you know?" At this, Kaoru nodded. The story wasn't exactly a common one, since Outlanders weren't treated too well in Meiji for the most part, but it was still one she had heard before. "Yeah, well… some of the people in the towns didn't like her, and she had to flee to the forest. The Forest Folk took her in, and she married my dad. Misao's parents were Folk too, and after Mom and Dad died, she sorta became my family."

Kaoru had a feeling that there was more to the story than this, but understood that he was reluctant to tell it, and would not press the issue. She was about to prompt for him to continue if he wished, but Yahiko was already speaking again. "A couple years back, some soldiers from Shishio's army came into the forest. They accused us of…" here he paused, and seemed to reconsider something. Shaking his head, he amended. "It doesn't really matter what they accused us of, but they decided that we were guilty and deserved death for it." His dark eyes hardened even as Kaoru felt the dread settle in the bottom of her stomach. She had a feeling she knew where this was going.

"Misao… she hid me somewhere, and went to fight. I followed her, because I didn't want… I didn't think I could stand to be alone, you know? I thought I was gonna be too late, when I saw the guy about to… but then he just fell over, a knife sticking out of his back."

"Aoshi," Kaoru murmured. That explained why Misao seemed so attached to him, at any rate.

"Yeah, and Kenshin, too," Yahiko elaborated. "They just… took them down. Every single one fell underneath them. It was the scariest thing I've ever seen, but… they saved us. When it was all done, the four of us were the only ones left. They tried to leave, but we just followed them. I guess they were okay with it, because after a couple of days, we started eating meals together, and Aoshi asked us if we knew the forest well. From then on, we've just been together."

Kaoru was struck dumb by the story. To think, that Kenshin and Aoshi had really saved them from all that… all by themselves. She knew that she wouldn't have been able to fight half a platoon on her own, and the two of them had managed it for the sake of two kids? It didn't seem to mesh with the things she knew about Kenshin… or maybe just the things she'd assumed. His attacking her made perfect sense now; he'd had the two of them to look out for.

_Gods, I've been stupid… _she thought to herself, and returned to camp with a troubled expression lining her face.

* * *

The silence was making Sano twitchy, but he couldn't really think of any way to break it. Megumi had been largely silent ever since agreeing to come with them to keep her mentor safe, and when you were quiet compared to Aoshi and Kenshin, something was definitely wrong with you, at least as far as Sano was concerned.

He'd readily found a friend in Kaoru, and he got along pretty well with the kids, too (Yahiko really reminded him a lot of himself). Kenshin and Aoshi he respected a great deal, but Megumi had hardly said two words to him, and tended to avoid his gaze, which he readily admitted to himself was on her more often than was strictly polite. Sano was gutsy enough to admit to himself that he was attracted to her, but he was also a decent enough human being not to press the point when she was clearly not ready for that sort of thing, whatever her reasons may be.

Still, whatever else he may have thought, he did not wish for this oppressive silence. He cast about for something, anything, to start a conversation with, but everything he turned up would probably be uncomfortable. He was curious how she'd come to know Takeda, where she'd some from, how she met Gensai; all topics of a more personal nature than she would probably appreciate.

So for the moment, the silence remained, and he looked about the forest. It was still new to him, really; his own family was from further east than this, and it was mostly plains over there. He'd heard of the Forest of Death, of course. Then again, he'd also heard that some kind of demon inhabited it, or an immortal creature or something. He'd thought maybe that those stories might be about Kenshin, given the slightly-perturbing eye color, but hood had his own tale, and so Sano guessed it must be someone different.

His feet crunched on the snow that coated the forest floor in patches; he hadn't thought there would be many useful plants about in winter, but Megumi seemed to have a eye for them, and every once in a while, she would stop and pluck something out of the ground, placing it in the light woven basket he made himself feel useful by carrying. She made eye contact once, and he offered a friendly smile, but then her doe-eyes fell to the ground before her once more, and the grin vanished. Sighing to himself, he wondered if she'd always been like this or if it was a recent development. Then again, she _had _almost been executed by someone she clearly had a history with; maybe it was getting to her that he was dead? Or that he'd tried to kill _her_.

Sighing to himself, he once again resisted the urge to ask, or even just make some form of noise to shatter the artificial silence. Artificial, because it was not at all natural for him. He, too, kept his own secrets, who was he to deny anyone else theirs?

Sano's eyes fell on a plant she'd passed, and he pointed. "Is that useful for anything?" he asked, wondering if she'd bother to answer.

Megumi jumped slightly, as though she was startled at the sound of someone speaking. She followed the line of his arm to the plant and shook her head. "No. It's actually poisonous unless cooked, and not too good for you even then." She looked up again briefly before turning to walk forward once more.

Behind her, Sano grinned triumphantly. That was more than she'd said to him since he'd known her. It seemed that forest plants were a safe topic. Not one that he was particularly interested in, mind, but if it got her talking… "What about that one?"

* * *

Kenshin resisted the urge to run a hand down his face in exasperation. Hiko was always like this: impossible to find when you wanted him, and prone to popping up when you didn't. He seemed to have a gift for knowing those sorts of things; maybe it was the Nameless god he claimed to have become a hermit for the sake of. Unlikely, but perhaps the explanation he would use. People tended to ask few questions of religious men, even these days.

It was with a measure of irritation, therefore, that he returned to camp. Misao and Aoshi were seated by the fire, the latter listening as the former rambled on about something, but everyone else appeared to be out. He was somewhat relieved; it was somewhat difficult to continue ignoring the woman. Truthfully, he was ready to be done with the whole argument, but he wasn't going to lose to her, and he _certainly _wasn't going to apologize. That would imply he'd done something wrong, which was not at all the case.

Unfortunately, Hiko did not seem to be the only one with a knack for appearing when you least wanted it, for even as he thought this, she and Yahiko approached the camp, and he could not help but wonder why she was missing her usual pleasant expression. He hated this: the way his eyes just automatically seemed to lock onto her the moment she entered some space he was in, the way he noticed the minutiae of her expressions. He knew, for instance, that when she smiled, one side of her mouth lifted just a little higher than the other, producing a lopsided sort of expression that was not at all… unpleasant. Useless! Why in the world did he know these things? It was positively infuriating.

She caught sight of him then, and their eyes met. He was fully prepared for a staring contest of some sort, but then an odd look flashed across her face and she dropped her gaze. Now _that _was most unusual. If he hadn't known better, he would have guessed that she felt guilty about something. Surely, though, this was simply his imagination.

Shaking his head to himself, he selected a spot some distance away from the fire (he had no desire to hear Misao talk) and set about sharpening his sword, something he did often, especially when in a more contemplative mood. A habit passed from his teacher, he suspected.

A few minutes in, he heard a slight noise, and glanced up to see that Kaoru was but a few feet from him, clearing her throat softly to alert him to her presence. It still bothered him, how quietly she could move. Then again, he had been quite focused on his task.

He raised an eyebrow, which she seemed to take as an invitation to sit. At this, he did not comment, merely turning back to his work, perhaps to distract himself from her proximity. This, too, bothered him. If you couldn't sense her coming, you certainly knew when she was there. He was hyper-aware of it, in fact, and he wondered if some part of his mind continued to perceive her as a threat, even after he'd beaten her in a fight. What other reason could there be for such a thing? It was possible he simply wished to fight her again; a rush like that one was rare indeed.

"Kenshin?" he looked up, almost involuntarily. There was no challenge in her tone, which surprised him a great deal. "I… I just wanted to say I'm sorry. For striking you. I still can't say I agree with what you did, but… maybe I was too harsh in judging you for it."

If her tone had surprised him, he was now quite officially floored. The last thing he had expected out of the proud, passionate, infuriating woman was an apology. He blinked slowly a few times, processing. She was looking at him expectantly, and he wondered if she expected him to apologize as well. He wasn't going to; he made no apologies for doing what was necessary, but… he supposed it wouldn't be acceptable to just say nothing. It wouldn't do their chances of survival any good if the two of them wouldn't even be able to manage a civil conversation, after all, and she seemed to be offering a way to regain that that kept everyone's dignity intact.

"It… was somewhat understandable. Do not concern yourself with it." She looked taken aback for a moment, then nodded solemnly.

"Thank you," she said, and stood, leaving him to his peace.

* * *

_A/N: All right, couple housekeeping notes for everyone. First of all, yeah, this one was kind of bereft of action and all, but that's why I called it an Interlude. I realized that the nature of the plot is such that the characters don't often have a whole lot of time to just interact naturally with each other, so I thought I'd make a point of developing those interaction a bit. In doing so, I hope to give you more of an idea of who they are in their down-time. This would probably not be necessary if they had their canon backstories, but this is so AU that they don't, so this is an attempt to fill in some holes for you. If you liked this Interlude, please let me know and I will write more of them. Otherwise, I will go back to the prior format exclusively. Keep in mind that this was inspired by the way in which legends are told, and as such, plot is more of a focus than characterization, a definite shortcoming as far as I'm concerned. Consider the Interludes a small break from the epic-style story, maybe a conversation between the storyteller and one or two people who thought to ask about how the characters felt at the time, no?_

_But anyway, maybe I make no sense. I do hope yo liked it at any rate, and feel free to tell me what you think as always. Nobody will be accused of being a flamer unless they actually, you know, flame me or something. Heck, I'll even take flames without comment, assuming they are in correct grammatical format. =)_

_~Kiku~  
_


	10. Chapter 8: Manipulations and Machination

Chapter 8: Manipulations and Machinations

_

* * *

Meiji society has always held a complex attitude towards women; at the same time as the government passes over females in lines of succession, several individual women have made great impacts on the history of our nation. _

_For the most part, however, women are confined to a small number of roles in the upper echelons of society. Where farmer's wives are in many ways their husbands' equals, women of the nobility are more segregated. The daughters of lower nobility, bereft of land or title to inherit, are frequently forced to either find advantageous marriages or turn to the often-comfortable, but also dishonorable life of the courtesan. Noble wives must tolerate the open presence of such mistresses, and divorce from arranged marriages is unheard of. _

_Even so, many of Meiji's greatest leaders have been women. When a family has no sons to inherit their lands, daughters may by law succeed their fathers. The Empress Tomoko was one such woman, and it was she who negotiated the peace treaties that even now influence Meiji's relations with the Wilds. _

* * *

The camp awoke early the next morning; it seemed that a day's rest had done them all a great deal of good. Kaoru herself felt lighter, as though catching the knife and apologizing had been liberating somehow. She felt more like herself now, assured and ready for whatever came her way, knowing that at the very least, she wasn't risking his permanent ire by impetuousness.

Aoshi was already about; the heads of everyone else save Kenshin visible atop bedrolls of various shapes and conditions. He nodded to her, though what intent was behind it, she could not say. Aoshi was difficult to read at the best of times. All she could tell was that although he was loyal to Kenshin, he seemed also to have his own agenda, one that he followed without telling anyone about it.

She returned the silent greeting in kind, and went to tend to Hagane. The horse was lively as ever, despite having to feed on forest plants rather than pasture, and she was thankful the breed was so hardy. He pressed his soft nose into her hand, and she rubbed his face affectionately. It was good to have some reminder of home, even all the way out here.

_Home… _she wondered how her father was doing, and Kamatari and everyone else in Nottingham. It had been over a week since she departed now, and in that time so much had happened that'd she'd barely had the time to consider what might be going on in the place she'd left. Hopefully, Saito had bought the story of her running away somewhere; it was uncommon, but not unheard-of, and she had a reputation for willfulness anyway. Still, it was hard to ignore the ache in her chest when she thought of her home, and her father in his workshop, making arrows diligently by firelight. Spring would come soon, and he'd need some help meeting the increased demand for hunting equipment in the time when there was more to be hunted.

Chasing the thought from her mind, she began to pack camp, even as the others stirred one by one and began to awake. Sano was by far the noisiest, and also the one with the most difficulty reaching full consciousness. Watching him try to catch a final few minutes every morning while Yahiko and Misao insisted that he awake was amusing to say the least. Presently, Yahiko was about to hit the large man with a stick, held like a sword in both hands. Except…

"You'll never hit him right if you hold it like that, Yahiko," she informed him matter-of-factly, with just the tiniest hint of big-sister bossiness to her tone, and the boy turned and regarded her, clearly puzzled.

"What're you talking about?" he demanded irritably, and only then did she remember that he tended to be crankier in the morning. Rolling her eyes, Kaoru set down what she was doing and strode over to them.

Standing behind him, she adjusted his hands so they were maintaining a better grip. "Don't hold so tight, either. There, that's better. See how much easier that is?" Yahiko, whose skeptical look had faded into a thoughtful one, looked down at his hands and nodded slowly.

Kaoru smiled, and stepped back away from him. That had felt unexpectedly nice, all things considered. Of course, it wasn't until he'd delivered a resounding smack to the sleeping Sano that she began to question the wisdom of it.

* * *

Aoshi watched with quiet amusement as the group went about their morning activities. Ever since Kaoru and Kenshin had resolved whatever major issue had prevented them from getting along, he had to admit it had been quite pleasant, traveling with a larger group. It was also, he was certain, good for Kenshin himself. Having other people around was reminding him of the wider world, and specifically the problems with it.

Hopefully, it wouldn't be long before the stubborn redhead would be more willing to see his Second's point of view on certain matters. That was, of course, where Kaoru would be key. Of all their new companions, it was she who, most likely unknowingly to both parties, exercised the most influence over Kenshin. It was actually bordering on strange to watch how he watched her, and how his mood would change just the slightest bit depending on what he saw. She'd outright challenged him a few times; the fact that she yet lived was testament to a change in the ruthless killer that Kenshin had needed to become in order to survive his exile. If the children had loosened him, she was to pull that persona apart entirely.

In fact, it might be time for him to act as well. A push in the right direction, if one would. Kenshin did, of course, know Aoshi's ultimate aim, but the tall man did not think his friend was aware of how exactly certain recent developments fit into it, and was doubtless at a loss as to why the reserved ninja would stick his neck out for anyone. Granted, it was something of an uncharacteristic move, but only on the surface. There were much deeper machinations to be seen here, if one knew where to look. Thankfully for Aoshi, Kenshin did not as yet, though Hiko very much did.

As he was thinking this and Sano was chewing out Yahiko for waking him up in such a crude manner, Kenshin himself returned to camp. Eyeing the confrontation with what amounted to mild annoyance, he strode over to his Second. "I take it we are not yet ready to move."

"No," Aoshi replied simply. "Things naturally take more time with a larger group. There are advantages to be had, however." As he'd expected, Kenshin's eyes immediately narrowed in suspicion.

"What are you getting at, Aoshi?" came the terse question, and the blue-eyed warrior lifted a shoulder.

"We are going to require extra supplies with this many people," he answered circularly, "but we will also doubtless have enough people to carry goods we could not before."

Kenshin raised one eyebrow. "Supplies that are extraneous to living in a forest, yes. What need have we of money or baubles?" These things were generally left on abandoned caravans, for the real bandits to scavenge.

The others, who had fallen silent, were now listening intently to the conversation, and only a few of them attempted to hide it. Perfect. Here was where a careful gamble became necessary. He alone might not be able to convince his lord to make this particular leap, but the whole band of them would. And who better to lead the charge than the one Kenshin could resist least of all? _Three, two, one…_

"We could always supply others," Kaoru put in after a moment's deliberation. "The king overtaxes people terribly these days. I know more than a few people who could use money and baubles." The discussion that ensued was long and occasionally heated, but through it all Aoshi's expression retained the tiniest of smiles. As he expected, at the end of it, Kenshin had agreed to take on the extra responsibility, and more quickly than even his Second had anticipated, which meant his opposition was approaching token.

Excellent.

* * *

In truth, Aoshi was more right than even he knew. In the intervening weeks between the group's completion and the morning of the discussion, Kenshin had felt himself begin to grow restless. It had been hard to put a name on the feeling, but all the same he felt the itch to _do _something.

This, too was unnamed, but something about the suggestion to pick each of Shishio's caravans dry and 'redistribute' the profits made sense. Maybe it was the timing, or the way in which it had been suggested, but some part of him was still reluctant to actually make the change. He'd been living in much the same way for the last two years; to change his plan in this drastic way would invite countermeasures. There was already a chance that someone besides Takeda had recognized him in that village; was he really willing to risk his own life, and those of Yahiko and Misao, not to mention the newcomers, for this?

From the looks on their faces, he knew the answer had to be yes eventually. Which was why he was currently perched amidst the boughs of a tree, ready to quite literally drop at the oncoming wagon. A royal supply caravan, no less.

The plan, he had to admit, was actually quite well-thought-out. He was fairly certain Aoshi had been more prepared for this eventuality than he seemed. Kenshin was not a fool; he knew what his Second was driving at with this. The tall man wished to put him on the throne, and overthrow Shishio in the process. As far as the redhead was concerned, he could keep his ambition and leave the former prince out of it entirely. He'd never desired the throne, and he had even less want for it now. He was not, however, against interfering with the Usurper's rule, as long as it was within decent parameters. "Decent parameters" were expanding at an alarming rate, but what harm could it do to give some of the bastard king's loot back to those he virtually robbed it from. Kenshin was not without some sense of justice, after all, he was just a pragmatist about it. Rebellion was guaranteed to fail, this was not.

A peculiar birdcall sounded, which Kenshin knew was Yahiko giving the signal that the wagon was immediately around the corner. Kenshin's hand tightened on his sword, still sheathed. Kaoru had insisted on extracting a no-kill vow from the lot of them, and though he hadn't exactly given it, he supposed it was not worth the strife it would cause in the group to kill them anyway. The challenge of fighting without a blade might be worthwhile, besides.

Sano was the first to move, emerging from the treeline and sauntering onto the road as though he belonged there. Standing blatantly in the way, he refused to move even when the driver yelled at him to retreat or be mowed over. Luckily, the man was big enough for the horses to think twice, and they skidded to a halt before the young man had to stop them himself, which he would have done, had things gone otherwise. As soon as the wheels stopped moving, Kenshin and Yahiko stepped out in front, Misao and Aoshi behind to prevent escape that way. Kaoru remained stationed in a tree, ready to stop any runners with her bow, and Megumi was immediately below her, waiting with medicines for any injured, on either side.

It didn't take long before the guards, heavily armed as they were, to fall. Surprisingly enough, Yahiko had been correct when he insisted that he now knew enough about swordsmanship to fend for himself. Though Kenshin had needed to intervene a few times in the boys fights, it was no longer a matter of worrying every second, and in time, Yahiko might yet prove himself a worthy soldier. He wondered what had brought the change about, but he supposed the answer was likely the same as it was every time he asked himself that question. It was increasingly difficult to resent Kaoru for the changes she wrought in his world. Despite his initial misgivings, he was not blind to the facts, and he could not pinpoint any negative consequence of her presence any longer. What would come of all this remained to be seen.

For now, though, there were supplies to be collected.

* * *

Hiko's path was about to lead him to his idiot apprentice once again. Frankly, he would almost rather not deal with the youth in his present state. For two years, Kenshin had been stagnating as the newly-exiled prince who had just lost his entire world. He had no purpose, no drive, and it irritated his teacher to no end.

Today, however, he was checking in for another reason. Aoshi had told him the last time he and Kenshin had sought Hiko out that there was a change occurring in the redheaded warrior, and Hiko wished to see just how true this was. If it was indeed the case that his pupil had changed, the repercussions would be significant. Hiko had established long ago that he would not be teaching the final secrets of his style to Kenshin as he was. What he actually wanted was something the youth would have to discover on his own, but if he was possibly making progress… it would be worth looking out for, anyway.

He arrived at the group's current campsite to the scene of several people, only a few of whom he recognized, arguing over what appeared to be a quantity of coin. Stopping just short of the group, he briefly met the eyes of a woman he had seen once before. She blinked, apparently surprised to see him there, and the reaction drew the attention of the rest, who turned to regard him with varying degrees of familiarity. "What's going on here?" Hiko asked, crossing his arms over his broad chest and raising one eyebrow.

Kenshin looked somewhat reluctant to speak, but the one called Misao saved him the trouble. "We took all this from one of Shishio's caravans," she explained. "We're trying to decide how to get it to people who need it."

Hiko's brows both disappeared beneath his hair. His idiot apprentice, committing an act of charity? Aoshi had understated his point, it seemed. This merited some maneuvering of his own, perhaps. "That's easy enough," he shrugged. "Holy men such as myself," and here there was a touch of wry humor to his tone, "are allowed to come and go freely, even in these times. So, too, are churches free to do as they will with any and all resources that come into their possession." A few pairs of eyes lit immediately with recognition, and Hiko grinned to himself. Interesting, indeed. Perhaps it would seem unusual of him to volunteer his services to such a cause, but he was looking at the big picture, beyond even what his student was aware of. Unbeknownst to any of them, there were rumors circulating in certain taverns about a benevolent rogue who lived in the forest, taking justice on the unjust king by stealing his resources. Such altruistic donations and a few well-placed words in those taverns would have a most interesting effect, he was sure.

The group, seemingly satisfied with this solution, split up and went about whatever it was that they did. Apparently, the blue-eyed girl was making arrows, Misao and Yahiko were practicing, and the other two took up some kind of basket and walked off into the woods. Aoshi nodded to Hiko and left shortly after, but Kenshin was clearly attempting to stare him down. "Yes?" the older man drawled lazily.

"Why?" his pupil replied shortly, and Hiko heaved his massive shoulders in a nonchalant shrug.

"Let's just say I want to." There was a pause, and Hiko did not miss how the intervening time led his student's eyes to the young fletcher. Now that he got to thinking about it, those features seemed awfully familiar… _ah, of course. _That explained a great deal. "You know," he continued, smirking when Kenshin's gaze snapped back to him, "I think you owe that girl more than you think." Aoshi was a clever one, that much was certain, to have caught onto this so quickly. Too bad Kenshin was dense as lead when it came to such matters.

_

* * *

Well, that was unexpected. _Kenshin frowned at his instructor's retreating back. How would the old man know if he owed Kaoru anything? Golden irises flicked to the woman in question, busily affixing crows' feathers to black arrow shafts. Interesting… he'd never seen her do that before.

It couldn't hurt to know the strengths of his companions, right? Approaching her, he sat in the vicinity and drew his sword, fully intending to sharpen it with the whetstone he always carried. He wasn't exactly sure how to approach the situation, but decided on the same directness he always had. "Where did you learn to make arrows?" he inquired as conversationally as he could, though in all honesty it still sounded like he was ordering her to answer.

A pause in the sound of movement, but he did not look up from his work. It resumed, and for a moment he considered that she might refuse to answer. Just as he was becoming irritated with her silence, a voice broke the stillness. "My father's a fletcher; I used to help him at his shop." A simple response, but one given in a friendly manner. Apparently she understood his attempt at conversation for what it was, despite his inability to articulate it as such.

"I see…"

"So I suppose you were in the army at some point?"

"Yes, once." It wasn't the easiest of discussions, but it was a start.

* * *

_A/N: Okay... so I'm a week late, and I apologize for that. Also, I know Kenshin's behavior probably seems a bit off right now, but there will be more complete explanation of this in the next chapter or two. Keep in mind that at this point, he is no longer exactly the Battousai, but also has been stalled in his transition to the more Rurouni-like Kenshin we all know and love. I ask you to suspend your disbelief for a bit on this one and see what happens._

_Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, and added; sometimes I question myself for even writing this, but the reviews always make me remember why I do it. You guys rock, and your support is much appreciated!_

_~Kiku~  
_


	11. Chapter 9: Discoveries and Decisions

Chapter 9:

Discoveries and Decisions

_

* * *

The First Great Crusade took place about twenty-five years before the start of our tale, but it plays an important role in understanding what followed. King Katsura's father, known to history as the Aegis, was a great man with an even greater pride and confidence in his military. He believed himself to be the shield of his empire, but also that doing this job successfully meant sometimes becoming the sword as well. _

_When the Aegis became aware of a threat to his southern border, he dispatched troops there, in hopes of staving off an Outland invasion. At that time, the lands to the South were for once somewhat unified, under Karath the Halberd, a warlord hungry for the rich metal deposits of Meiji. _

_The war dragged on for much longer than any had anticipated, and it was at this time that Meiji first instituted its policy of conscription: all young men were to serve at least two years in the military. The language of the decree meant that not even the king's own sons were exempt, and both served admirably. Many of the greatest heroes still alive today served in that war, including the popular people's champion, a general called in legends the Stone Wall of the West, and a man of much less reputation but no less valor, known simply as the Sentinel. _

_Unfortunately, the king's elder son disappeared at some point during the conflict, and after an exhaustive search was presumed to be dead. Many say that the loss of his heir was what broke the Aegis at last, and Meiji began negotiations for a peace treaty in the months thereafter. As long as the Southlands did not attempt any longer to invade Meiji or molest her citizens, the Aegis would return once more to being a shield, never a blade._

_Unfortunately, the shifting nature of leadership in the south means that there is no grounds for expecting treaties to be honored, and indeed the Halberd's rule fractured soon thereafter. His successors, while never able to unite quite as many of the provinces and tribes as he was, nevertheless have raised mercenary armies large enough to attempt military action against Meiji. _

_And it is thus that King Katsura began the Second Great Crusade. Ever mindful of his brother's death, the young king protected his own nephews from forced conscription. The younger of the two, Crown Prince Kenshin, never did heed the instruction, and served his time like everyone else, much to the dismay of both his mother and his betrothed the Lady Tomoe. _

* * *

Kamatari's dark eyes swept the bar and tavern immediately in front of him, for once entirely bereft of patrons. Such were the circumstances of such a dwindling economy, he supposed. With taxes as high as they had become in recent months, it was only a matter of time before he was forced out of business.

He supposed he should have been more upset about this, and in truth he was, but it was not as though there was anything he could do about it. Frankly, he was just lucky he could afford the taxes for another few months on his savings. The minute you couldn't pay, the sheriff threw you straight into his increasingly-populated prison.

The barman sighed theatrically, catching the eye of his niece and nodding. "Watch the place for a spell, if you would. I'm off to do a bit of business, but I'll be back before dark."

The girl, once the ever-smiling, gossip-hungry type, had mellowed in demeanor considerably recently, and he could honestly say that he was sad to see her cheeriness go. Then again, his own had fled much the same, so he couldn't really tell her to keep her chin up. She merely nodded in return and went back to polishing the bar.

Shaking his head, Kamatari grabbed a small satchel and pulled his dark brown cloak tightly about his lanky frame. He'd even gone back to wearing men's clothes lately, having sold all of his more valuable items to keep his bar running, but it wouldn't last long. Still, the cloak was of decent make, and the dark color gave him some perverse kind of hope.

Maybe the Watchman would return, soon. He knew not the details of what had transpired, only that doorways were marked infrequently these days, even though the levels of crime like theft had escalated to heights he personally had never seen. Maybe that was just it: everyone was driven by unfair circumstances to things they would not normally do. Perhaps the Watchman understood this, but he had to admit that somehow the decreased visibility of the town's favorite legend was discouraging. If the Watchman too were to abandon them to the wolves (or Wolf, in this case), then they might as well all just roll over and die now.

The odd man at last reached his intended destination, and rapped a few times on the door to Koshijiro's shop. Nothing could be heard from within, no voice answered the inquiry of his hand against the wood. "Koshijiro? It's just me…" Kamatari shrugged and pushed open the door. Surely there was no way the fletcher would be out at this time of day.

The sight that met his eyes was one to remain in his mind's eye forever, on the nights he dreamed violent, bloody dreams of what might have been his life, had things gone a little differently. Koshijiro lay, torso slumped over his workbench, a cup with just a trace of liquid remaining tipped over near his hand. Several unfinished arrows lay next to him, feathers of the fletching since stained red with the small puddle of blood that had seeped from behind his eyes. His own lids flying open in shock, Kamatari raced to the man's side, though he knew well there was nothing to be done for it. Curiously, there were two envelopes, sealed, lying next to him on the bench, and Kamatari noted with surprise that one of them bore his own name. His first thought was that it had been a suicide, that the older man had been unable to live without his absent daughter, but somehow he was unconvinced. Koshijiro had survived the death of his wife, and though Kaoru was all he had left, he did not seem the type to lose hope, not when the story of his daughter's vanishing was so dubious. And somehow, the barman did not think the fletcher the type to leave his craft unfinished. No, if this had been a self-inflicted death, Koshijiro would surely have completed his work first.

It was with no small amount of reluctance, then, that he picked up the envelope with his name on it and broke the seal. Scanning the words within, he picked up the other note, marked "Kaoru," and concealed it carefully beneath his cloak before departing, a frown deepening the faint lines on his face.

It looked like the tavernkeeper had a crime to report; he just wasn't sure he wouldn't be reporting it to the criminal.

* * *

Saito took in the tiny workshop with his customary stony scowl. This was going to make things a little more difficult. While he had not killed the fletcher, he had a feeling he knew who had. His plan to simply use the man as bait to lure his daughter back into this useless backwater town was shot… but perhaps it wasn't.

"How many people know about this?" He asked his nearest underling, and the man shrugged before remembering who was addressing him and straightening up considerably.

"Sir! Um… the barman was the one who brought the information in, and he says he was alone when he found the body, so-"

Saito rolled an unlit cigarette between his thumb and first two fingers. "Perfect. Has Kamatari paid his last lot of taxes?"

"In full, sir."

Yellow eyes narrowed in a moment of contemplation. "Arrest him for Kamiya's murder." The tall man produced a match and lit the tobacco, exhaling languidly into the stale air of the workshop, thick with the smell of death.

"B-but-" the young officer quailed under the sheriff's glare, and mumbled something n acquiescence before skittering off to go wherever it was these local fools went whenever they were hiding from him. The job would be done, though, no mistake about that.

That would keep the word from getting out as long as he needed it to. The damn girl needed a reason to come back to this town, and without her father alive and kicking, the officer could not be certain that there was enough of one. Kamatari would be released eventually- he was not _wantonly _cruel- but not before the sheriff of Nottingham had eliminated the thorn in his side once and for all.

_Come, Watchman, and we shall pit your legend against my sword._

* * *

Presently, the selfsame woman was wandering through the forest, the other female inhabitants of the little band on either side of her. Sano was busy learning something of the topography from Yahiko at the moment, and so Kaoru had volunteered to help Megumi gather herbs instead. The other woman had seemed both relieved and slightly disappointed in response, but when Misao had chimed in as well, the first real smile either of them had seen out of her had appeared on the doctor's face, and that had been enough for Kaoru to silently applaud the decision.

They'd been passing the time peaceably, mostly listening to Misao's constant cheerful chatter, chuckling every now and then when she recounted some bizarre childhood story about her parents (who had apparently been quite the pair) or, more often, Yahiko as a little boy.

There had come a short period of unbroken silence though, and just as Kaoru was about to interrupt it with something (she had not yet decided what), Megumi's rich contralto preempted her efforts. "What about your parents, Kaoru?" The question was phrased innocuously enough, but the younger of the two women could sense that it was somehow loaded with implications she did not quite understand.

"Well," Kaoru began slowly, thinking over how to respond, "I can't say I remember much of my mother; she died not a few years after I was born." She decided to go with the truth, for really, it was not in her nature to deceive. "My father sometimes tells me stories of her, but… for as long as I can recall, it has been just the two of us. He raised me, and taught me everything I knew of, well… everything." She laughed a tad nervously, concerned that she'd come off as entirely vacant or inarticulate.

Rather than comment, though, Megumi looked down at her hands, apparently considering something. "I see…"

Kaoru thought she understood. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, Miss Megumi," she offered brightly, smiling in an attempt to convey her sincerity. "It's pretty easy for me to talk about mine, but that's just because I was so young, you know?" If Megumi's parents were more recently deceased, it might be painful, and the woman had been through so much already… Kaoru had no idea what she'd do if her father died.

All this talking was making her homesick, though, and she frowned slightly as she summoned up the most familiar image of her sole guardian in his workshop by the fire. Unusually, the image was coughing, and her chest constricted a bit at the mere thought of it. "I want to go home," she said suddenly, only amending when she realized that two quite startled pairs of eyes were resting on her. "Not permanently!" she plowed on hastily, waving her hands sideways in front of her as if to stave off any oncoming accusations. "Just to, you know… check up on things." She trailed off a bit absently, and Megumi nodded sagely, as though she understood.

"Well, it couldn't hurt to ask, could it?" Kaoru thought it might not be quite so simple. Kenshin was constantly caught up in not allowing the group to take unnecessary risks, and she couldn't say there were none, not given the identity of Nottingham's resident lawman.

* * *

"Very well," Kenshin replied without inflection, "but you will not go alone." She looked about ready to ask who would be coming, and he knew very well that she was expecting him to say Aoshi, or perhaps Sanosuke. "Make ready. We shall leave in an hour, that we might arrive under cover of darkness."

The redhead had to admit, he rather enjoyed the surprised look on her face. She seemed so good at predicting him, especially so in the past few weeks of coordinated caravan raids, that it was immensely satisfying to throw her for a loop like this. He'd have to consider doing so more often.

Not that he particularly minded her knowing what he was about to do as much as he would have previously. It made her useful, and their tactics worked all the better because she was becoming almost as good as Aoshi at reading his subtle indicators of what needed to happen when things did not go quite as planned. Yahiko and Misao still needed some work there, and Sano was nearly hopeless, but at least the two of them could figure it out well enough.

Glancing up at the sky, he used the position of the sun to double-check his estimate on their arrival time, finding that they would likely reach town at about midnight. Truthfully, Aoshi had told him that Nottinghamshire was not nearly the way she had left it last. Apparently, the King's taxes were taking an especially heavy toll there due to the efficiency of the administration. Kenshin had met only one efficient bureaucrat in his life, and that had been because the man was hardly a bureaucrat at all. If Saito was in that village, Kenshin needed to know, and thus accepting her request made perfect sense. He was not so heartless that he would have denied it otherwise, but without the possibility of the Wolf's presence, he might have sent Sano instead.

He himself had little to prepare, as the journey would probably only take them a day in total. Less, actually, if one took the horse into account. If she rode, he could easily run to keep pace.

Speaking of which, it appeared as though she had completed her preparations with all due haste. Already mounted, she steered the beast up beside him and held out a hand. He raised an eyebrow, slightly puzzled at the odd gesture, as well as surprised to find her in full blacks again.

"Well, come on then," she insisted, a tad impatient, and he realized that she expected him to mount the horse behind her.

"No," he replied flatly, and received an exasperated sigh for his trouble.

"If we ride, it saves time. Hagane's a war-horse; he can handle two people just fine. The sooner we get there, the sooner we get back."

He wanted to argue, but her logic was, he had to admit to himself, quite sound. Shooting a venomous glare at Aoshi, who was watching with what appeared to be traces of amusement, he gripped her hand-which was much softer than he would have expected, despite the warrior's calluses- and swung up behind her.

"Hold on," she advised cheerfully, and then, without any particular provocation that he could discern, the muscles of the great steed bunched and moved beneath him, and they were off at a brisk pace.

Kenshin wasn't exactly unversed in riding, but it had been a while, and he realized with a large amount of trepidation that this position necessitated him maintaining his seat by holding onto her. Surely, Kaoru must have known this too, but she did not mention anything about it, which left him with an odd conglomeration of feelings made only worse when he actually took a cautious hold of her waist. There was a brief moment in which she tensed, but it vanished so quickly he might have imagined it.

This… was going to be a long day.

* * *

As they approached the village at last, Kaoru could not help but breathe an internal sigh of relief. She'd only been doing so well at suppressing the ridiculous amount of flutters in her stomach, and she was starting to suspect she might be going insane.

The reason for this was easily-discernible. Who else drove her nearly as crazy as the man behind her? The man who, she might add, currently was within _inches _of her person? She could feel his breath on her _neck, _for gods' sake!

Thus, when they finally dismounted within sight of her home, she could not have been more glad to get off her horse if she tried. Normally, riding Hagane was the most stress-free of experiences, but apparently Kenshin just made everything that much more difficult.

Nodding silently to him, she was somewhat curious to discover that he seemed to make conscious effort to replace the neutral expression he always wore without trying. Was it possible he'd been… affected as well? No, no of course not. Now she was just being stupid, and there were more important things to do besides. The two approached her homestead cautiously. Even cloaked in the darkness of the middle of the night, it would not be a good idea to simply waltz up there as though they owned the entire property, though technically Kaoru supposed she one day would.

The area was quiet, though no more so than it would usually be on an early-spring night. The creatures that had left the area for winter had not yet begun to return, as the season was only in its infancy, and the snow had yet to completely melt. Her boots made no sound on the powder, but Kenshin was not quite as stealth-oriented as she, and her keenly-tuned ears picked up the occasional sound issuing from his direction.

The front door was probably their best option; she doubted very much that her father would appreciate anyone swinging in one of his windows. She could sense a single ki presence within, and knew instinctively that, though vaguely familiar, it did not belong to Koshijiro, unless… it was possible the sickness had altered his aura? She was looking to Kenshin in an effort to communicate that something was amiss when she noted the hard look in his golden eyes. If she did not recognize the person inside, he certainly did, and the news was not good at that.

Before she could signal anything to him, he had marched straight past her and swung the door open, drawing his sword out and striking with it in one fluid motion a great deal faster than most eyes would have been able to keep up with. The resounding clang of steel meeting steel could be easily-discerned, however, and brilliant blue eyes widened as she recognized the man at the other end of that exchange. What was the sheriff of Nottingham doing in her house?

_

* * *

A/N: Hey, look, I got a chapter out kind of on time! Amazing, right? Don't worry, I'm kidding. _

_Seriously, though, thanks to all of my amazing reviewers for their continued support; I think this story might actually be more popular than my last one, which seriously blows me away. You guys are awesome, and I hope you all keep on reading._

_I know I promised more about Kenshin's motives this time, but I just reached such a natural stopping point that I didn't want to shove it in there, otherwise this thing would have been twice as long and out… well, not today, at any rate. So please keep on trusting me for a bit; I promise your questions will eventually be answered! ^^_


	12. Chapter 10: Aggrieved and Aggravated

Chapter 10: Aggrieved and Aggravated

_

* * *

Legends are interesting things; it would be hard to deny that there is some grain of truth to each and any of them. Sometimes, it is not so much the subject matter of a legend that counts as the lesson it teaches. There are fables informing our children to be careful at night, or telling farmers when in the year it is best to harvest._

_In these cases, the characters are almost inconsequential. In others, however, it is the figure described that is the pivotal thing. If I never teach you anything else, then learn this well: not every tale may be true, but none of them are false._

* * *

Saito had to admit, he'd been surprised when he'd felt the second ki beside the girl's outside the door. The Wolf had immediately recognized it, of course; it was hard to forget someone like the exiled Crown Prince of Meiji, even without the title. _Most interesting company you keep. _He knew not whether the thought was directed to the fletcher's daughter or his once-rival commander.

He and Kenshin had served in the second crusade at similar times, though Saito had been on the field for a number of years before the young prince came of age. Their respective battalions had been somewhat contentious, in that they were the two best on any ground they occupied. He personally had stayed out of the infighting, but not done anything to avert it. A little tension, in his opinion, had always been productive.

Regardless, he had met the young commander of the Ishin Shishi Brigade on more than one occasion, and though they had never fought, he knew the prince possessed a skill worth reckoning with. He had simply never counted on his current nuisance, the Night Watchman, to deliver unto him the opportunity.

Swords clanged and slashed in the tight quarters of the front room of the Kamiya residence, and Saito's face broke out in a wide grin even as the end of his cigarette was cut off. Judging from the decisiveness of his opponent's strike, Saito had not been forgotten either, and the man had presumed correctly that the Captain of the Shinsengumi Division was currently under the employ of the Usurper-king.

And was probably judging him for it. Saito could personally care less, but it did strike him oddly whenever someone seemed to harbor a vitriolic distaste for him on these grounds alone, as the girl did. The man was no idealist and no fool; he knew he had done things that deserved a fair amount of hate, but serving Shishio was not one of them. Any true soldier knew that the man on the throne was unimportant, that it was simply the position itself that must be bowed to.

Doubtless, such a thought would not go over too well in present company, he mused as he parried another thrust, the honed edges of both blades whistling in the air with the sheer speed at which they were being propelled. Indeed, all such ruminations were effectively useless, and he quashed them as mercilessly as he did his enemies. The whelp had about as much fight in him as Saito had expected, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying himself.

But despite this, it would be in his best interests to end the altercation quickly and efficiently. As interesting as it was to run into the former heir to the country's throne, it was well-established that the golden-eyed warrior had run away like a dog with his tail between his legs, leaving a woman and a traitorous knight to stave off his pursuers. Such scum was hardly worth engaging, what ever he might once have been. No; in this respect, the masked girl herself was a much more worthy opponent. She still had fight left in her, and made an irritant out of herself by presuming to uphold a justice distinct from the king's own.

The conscience Saito claimed to have slaughtered long ago flared up at this characterization, but he suppressed it. Now was not the time to consider that her mere affectation to understanding might have some truth to it. He'd held a motto, once, that might have been compatible with it. But much as the men he'd been forced to leave behind on each and every bloodstained field, slick with the life essence of men, that creed was dead and rotted beyond recognition, leaving but the characteristics of duty and solemnity that had once informed it behind.

So, too, he could tell, were the things that had once made the man he fought into a worthy opponent likewise vanished. There was no fire behind the motions, no drive to win. Pathetic, truly. A little more application of his speed, and perhaps Saito would be able to end it already.

"Don't," the voice startled him; he had to admit, he was not expecting the woman to speak, as it would surely give her identity away beyond whatever shred of probable façade she thought remained. Apparently, however, she had correctly assumed he knew her identity anyway. Curious.

The sheriff stayed his blade, knowing instinctively that the other man would do the same. What point was there in continuing the charade of a fight anyway? "I have to say," he began as though the brief altercation had never happened, "I did not expect such a level of sophistication from a vigilante, but it was quite clever, to pass the title on through generations and give the impression if immortality that way. Too bad your old man had to take it up again when you left; he was ill-suited to it at his age." He watched with satisfaction as her eyes hardened. The man beside her picked up on it like some kind of emotional sponge, and might have started forward again save for the most subtle of warnings in her face.

"Where is my father?" she hissed, and he wondered where all her fear had disappeared to. Once, his mere presence would have been enough to intimidate her, and have her cowed to small shows of defiance. Now though, she was visibly standing up to him, growing where he and her companion had long since died.

"Your father is dead," he replied flatly, just to see what would happen.

The reaction was atypical. Rather than automatically pin the blame on him, her easily-discernible nemesis, she appeared to be trying to decide how to take his words. Instead of immediately and without proof proclaiming him a liar, she read the truth in his bluntness.

"Who was it?" The tone was soft, and had he been a lesser man in terms of observational skills, Saito might have thought it gentle. But no, there was steel underlying the simple question, and he smirked slightly. This might be good.

"Does it matter? The King ordered it. Would you take revenge for the deed that far?" He was pushing, intentionally pushing to see what might happen.

Disinterested yellow eyes watched as she stiffened, then appeared to come to some kind of resolution. Without another word, Kaoru Kamiya turned on her heel and strode out the door, leaving himself and the former Prince Kenshin alone inside the room. Saito stirred, and Kenshin's hand went immediately to his sword, but the taller man cut him off with a truncated gesture. "Don't bother. She's more worth fighting than you are, and I'll leave it be for now."

Wary eyes narrowed suspiciously, but they both knew the sheriff was right, and moments later, Kamiya's accompaniment left as well. Saito sighed a bit to himself and pulled out another cigarette, lighting it and inhaling deeply. It occurred to him that this might be disrespectful, but he considered the thought irrelevant and ignored it. Dead men cared not for reverence, after all, and the more he infuriated the living, the better for now.

_Huh. Maybe that credo's not as dead as I thought, pushing them like that. _It was not until later that night, when he walked past one of Shishio's propaganda posters only to find that it and every other like it had been shot between the eyes with a midnight-black arrow that he knew he had succeeded, and it was not until he knew everyone in the village had seen it that he allowed his men to remove them. _Aka Soku Zan._

* * *

The ride back into the forest was long and silent, with neither party willing to fracture the tenuous hold on rationality that the noiselessness preserved. Kaoru rode at the back this time, uncertain of whether or not she'd be able to guide Hagane properly. As it was, she leaned heavily upon Kenshin's back, the emotional weight borne by the knowledge of her father's death settling in a more literal sense upon her muscles as well. Kenshin, for his part, was kind enough not to mention it.

In her haze of grief, she perceived that he smelled of the forest, and something slightly musky. Why this was the single distinct perception her mind would choose to fix on, she could not say, but it wasn't as though she was going to argue. Instead, she chose to take comfort in it, insofar as she could be comforted by anything presently.

As soon as Hagane entered camp, though, she dismounted with a most uncharacteristic thud, glazed eyes barely registering the bubbly presence of Misao come to greet her an doubtless regale with some tale of her beloved Sir Aoshi. The other girl's expression soon shifted to worry, and she turned to Kenshin with a question in her eyes, one that Kaoru did not stay to heard the answer to. Rather, she brushed past the lot of them and fell into her bedroll, leaving the explanations to someone who had the heart for them.

* * *

Three days. The sun had risen and set three times, and still Kaoru had spoken to nobody. The others continued to throw furtive glances at each other, or at least everyone but Aoshi and Kenshin did.

Aoshi remained about as impassive as ever, though occasionally even he would give Kenshin a look that urged him toward some unknown action. Unknown, because Kenshin did not know how to deal with what she was going through. He'd experienced it himself, two and a half years ago, and at that time he'd simply let it run its course. The redhead could not say that he liked the complete lack of her usual spirit that Kaoru was displaying; in fact he truthfully hated it with a vengeance. If she ended up the same way he had after he'd been exiled… no. Surely, she was different than he had been. She'd recover soon enough.

In truth, he'd expected tears, but there had been not one, only a lifelessness that he was swiftly coming to despise. Not that he thought it her fault, exactly, but something in him reacted viscerally against the uncharacteristic melancholy, the dull expression, the robotic jerkiness of movements once smooth with an uncanny grace. He'd come to recognize these things that were missing as part of who Kaoru was; perhaps he'd even come to admire them. But this woman was no longer Kaoru, and he knew not how to change her back.

The others had tried; Misao with gentle cajoling, Megumi with a stern rebuke, Yahiko with prolonged ribbing and Sano with silly distraction. She'd ignored all of them as though she could not see them at all, simply staring into the space beyond anyone that tried to interact with her.

He'd been there, when she targeted and shot every one of the king's notices. Anything with Shishio's likeness upon it had been condemned by the black arrows of the Watchman. That had seemed like a reasonable reaction, but all the anger had vanished in the wake of it, to be replaced by nothing at all, a profound and complete emptiness. It was driving him slowly mad.

Presently, Kenshin was interrupted from his musings by the sound of movement, and dark golden eyes snapped to the source. Hiko, clad in his usual brown friar's robe, was entering camp. He caught the man's look and the conveyed question: _she still at it?_ Kenshin nodded once, and the look on his teacher's face became thunderous.

The redhead had just enough time to wonder what was going on before Hiko strode over to Kaoru and came to stop just in front of her, crossing his arms and glaring down upon the woman as though she were an insect. With a look that told Aoshi to get everyone else out of the vicinity, Kenshin hovered at the periphery of the engagement, watching.

"And just what do you think you're doing, _girl?" _Hiko hissed, placing special emphasis on the derogatory address. Kenshin fully expected Kaoru's head to rise, for the defiant spark that characterized her unwavering glare to ignite, but the listless woman simply shook her head slightly, as though to rid herself of some errant thought.

At first, it looked as though she would not respond at all. Then: "Please… just leave me be." Kenshin almost flinched. He wasn't too great with obeying authority, but an angry Hiko was something that made even him think twice. Kaoru barely seemed to care.

"Leave you be? _Leave you be? _The King is oppressing the people, his nobles are mad with power, the citizens need the Night Watchman, and the daughter of Koshijiro Kamiya wants me to _leave her be?_ I must admit; I thought you were stronger than that." The words cut deeply, and Kenshin watched, fascinated, as the flicker of pain clouded her face for the briefest of instants.

"I have no strength," she replied dully. "My strength died with him."

Hiko sighed heavily, and brought his fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose for a moment, closing his eyes and trying very clearly to modulate his tone. Kenshin could have told him that anger wasn't going to work; it had been attempted already. Rather than try again, though, his teacher took a seat beside the young woman and was silent for a moment before he continued in a more moderate sort of way. "Let me tell you a story, then. Once, during the First of the Crusades, and I shall not call them Great, there was a crown prince of the kingdom, son of the Aegis. The man was young and rash, and believed that because the nameless had blessed him with ki magic, there would be no opponent he could not defeat.

"The prince was fortunate that such foolishness never did get him killed. This in large part was due to one of the men serving under him, a man they called the Sentinel. The second man, too, knew something of ki, a skill he always said he learned from a prisoner with whom he fell in love. But unlike the prince, the Sentinel knew his limitations well, and was wise in regards to them, but never afraid to face down difficulty greater than he thought he could handle.

"The prince also had a Second, a conniving little wretch that plotted constantly, and bitterly despised the Sentinel as the unworthy always hate the good. So great was his envy, in fact, that he laid a trap for the other man, and his own liege in the process. An ambush by the enemy, made to kill the Sentinel and capture the prince, so that the Second might stage a rescue and be the hero. Unfortunately, the men he hired for this had no such intention, and there was an assassin in their midst. When the mercenaries attacked, the entire band was caught off-guard. The prince would have died that day were it not for the courage of his friend, as would the Second have died. It would be no exaggeration to say that it was the bravery and stubborn fighting spirit of that one man that turned the tide of battle.

"The arrogant prince learned a hard lesson about true strength that day, and not once has he forgotten it. He discovered his own weakness, and his only goal became to be as strong as the Sentinel had proven himself to be. The prince took up a life of devotion and self-reflection, deeming himself unfit to rule, and the throne went to his younger brother in his stead. Never did he, or will he, forget the debt he owes to that man, who taught him what so many fail to learn."

Kenshin blinked. This was not a story his uncle had told before. He knew, of course, that the prince of Hiko's story was in fact Hiko himself, but he had never heard the man who taught him speak of the Sentinel person aside from mentioning the fact that he had fought with a common man who'd earned that title, and who he would have made his Second if he'd bothered to become king.

Kaoru seemed to be having much the same realization. "You were… my father was…"

Hiko nodded. "Your father saved my life, and even if the kingdom of Meiji will never recognize that debt, I assure you I have not forgotten. Do not tell me that his daughter has learned nothing from him."

Hiko stood once more, and Kaoru rose with him. "Even so, I…"

Shaking his head, the older man exhaled gustily. "Then maybe you'll have to learn the same way I did. Hey idiot," he called, turning to Kenshin. "Do us all a favor and have a rematch with her, okay? I swear, sometimes you whelps are so dense… can't learn anything the first time…"

Kenshin was confused, but he knew Hiko well enough to say that the old man knew what he was doing, and so the redhead drew his sword. Kaoru glanced from one to the other, clearly not about to obey the implication. Shrugging, Kenshin rushed her, swinging slowly enough that she'd be able to dodge even frazzled. If there was a chance that this would bring her back to her normal state, the one he'd come to trust as part of his group, then he was going to take it.

* * *

Kaoru leaped to one side on pure, basic instinct, a muscle memory long engraved into her system. What the heck was going on? Hiko had said… well, he'd said a lot of things, but chief among them she gathered to be that her father had taught her true strength, but she needed to remember what it was. How fighting Kenshin was going to help, she did not understand; they'd been down this road before.

Still, it made a certain kind of sense. If there was one thing her father taught her that she always remembered, it was this. The essential movement of a battle, the ways to disrupt or manipulate a fight, the feel of her knives in her hands… these were his legacies as surely as anything she could think of. If the answer lay anywhere, it must be here.

She'd been without direction since learning of his fate, and part of her, most often quashed by the inability to cope with feeling anything, wished desperately to find a path again. That in mind, she decided to play along for a bit, just in case, and produced the blades from her cloak.

Five minutes later, Hiko's voice could be heard over the clang of parries and blows. "If I'd known you were both so weak, I wouldn't have bothered!" The man's muscular arms were crossed over his chest, and he looked absolutely revolted by the spectacle. "Clearly, your old man knew less than I thought."

_Why, you… how dare he! _Kaoru could put up with a lot, but he didn't get to insult her father, not when he knew the truth. Fine then; she'd just have to prove the bastard wrong. Clenching her jaw, Kaoru set her mouth into a determined line and increased her speed, catching Kenshin off-guard and forcing him to the same. So engrossed were they that neither noticed Hiko smirk with self-satisfaction and take his leave.

* * *

Were it possible, Kenshin would have said that Kaoru was a fiercer opponent now than she had been the time they met, and he was exerting no trivial amount of energy to even keep up. This was not to say that he was taking the fight entirely at face value; he thought he was beginning to understand Hiko's motivation for compelling them to it in the first place. The prince himself was merely a placeholder, utilized because he could keep up without getting injured.

The point was to force the feelings Kaoru was burying to the surface, and it seemed she was working through a good deal of anger at present. Indeed, the strength of her blows and their speed were impressive, and had he not been purposely on the defensive, he still would have found it hard to make a strike of his own.

This particular vantage, however, afforded him an interesting opportunity to observe. Even as her fury increased, she still did not strike at places that would be fatal should a blow accidentally connect. He wondered if this was a nuance of the style she practiced, or one of Kaoru as a person. He was able to cement in his own mind various impressions of her he'd gained in passing: most noticeably, the way she moved. Every fighter had a different way of navigating a fight. Some remained solid, some in burst of blinding speed, others with acrobatics. Kaoru, he was able to tell, _flowed. _Each motion was not wasted, but appended seamlessly into the next by virtue of some unconscious gracefulness for which he had never seen the like. Efficiency counterbalanced by effectiveness, like some form of dance without the extraneous. He was, if he were to be truthful, transfixed by this quality.

Eventually, she grew fatigued, and the blows slowed, which was just as well, as he wasn't faring too well either. Her endurance was nothing to be scoffed at, and once the fire had returned to her eyes, he had known that his effort had been worth it.

Suddenly, the blades slipped from her grasp, and Kenshin averted his counterstrike just in time to cast aside his own weapon and break her fall. Straightening, he realized with some trepidation that he was effectively keeping her standing, bodies pressed together, and his arms were in a most compromising situation about her waist.

Rather than any of the reactions he would have expected to this, however, Kaoru's arms wrapped about his back, and she buried her face in his shoulder. A few seconds later, he felt something warm and wet slide down his neck, and her thin shoulders began to heave with sobs. Unsure how to respond, Kenshin reacted on instinct, tucking her head under his chin and moving his right hand in circles across her upper back.

The act had put him at something of a loss, all told, but he wasn't about to risk having her cut herself off so completely from him again. Had someone asked him a few weeks ago whether he would ever been concerned about such a thing, a golden-eyed glare would have been their only response. Now that it had actually occurred, though, he understood that he had come to trust her, and in a sense to depend on her seemingly inexhaustible ability to challenge him. He'd even found that he rather liked being challenged, and that was to say nothing of the fact that she'd somehow wormed her way into the small percentage of people in the world he actually cared to see happy.

"Kaoru…" he murmured in what he hoped was a comforting manner, but he did not really know how to finish the sentence. Still, it seemed to be enough, for the sobs gradually subsided, and eventually she pulled away, peering up at him with some measure of shame in watery blue eyes.

"Kenshin… I'm sorry," she managed, sniffling. "For everything. I'm… I'll be okay, I think."

He shook his head, trying to convey that such things were not necessary, to make her understand what his tongue would not allow him to speak. "Come," he said at last. "The others will want to know."

_

* * *

A/N: Hn… not sure how I feel about this chapter. I hate writing fluff, so hopefully that wasn't too cheesy. I didn't want a typical comfort scene, so I wrote it a different way instead. _

_Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed. I think the most interesting comment I go this week was that someone didn't like the mixing of Western and Japanese themes, with names like Nottingham and Aokigahara in the same story. I dunno; I guess I thought that it was supposed to be an amalgamation but it's something for me to consider… maybe after I've slept on it. _

_Speaking of sleep; I'm going to go get some now before I spend all weekend writing papers. Ugh. Leave me a review if you want my weekend to suck less! (That's not coercion, I swear, only a testament to the fact that even concrit makes me happy.)_


	13. Interlude II

Interlude II

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* * *

The disappearance of King Katsura happened under mysterious circumstances. In truth, the majority of those who knew anything about the situation suspected Shishio of orchestrating the whole thing, but nobody ever really agreed on how. Some said that he had the Shinsengumi Battalion do the deed, and then had all of them killed to silence them. The real story was something not easily discerned, but that murkiness was precisely what Shishio needed. _

_The nobility was still reeling when he sent assassins after his main rival for the throne, the young Crown Prince Kenshin. Rumor was divided as to the outcome of this as well, but popular opinion for the next three or so years held that he was well and truly dead, along with his fiancée and the man she had loved. The moralists were fond of spinning the tale as a cautionary one to those who would defy their position in life: The Prince who never wanted o be king, the Duchess who would have married a common knight, and the knight who loved his mistress. A sordid tale it was indeed, and one that many people took advantage of._

_This particular viewpoint was shattered some few years after the disappearance of His Highness, however, but I do perhaps preempt myself a bit. You will see soon enough what I mean, at any rate. Until then, I bid you be patient with me. The details are, after all, quite important, and you would do well to mark them._

* * *

A month passed, and though she was occasionally seen looking off into the distance with a listless expression on her face, never again did Kaoru slip into the same melancholy she'd possessed in the days following her father's death. The fire had returned to her, and it seemed that she was eager to keep it this time.

Just as well for Kenshin, perhaps; though the whole situation had made him a bit uneasy, in the end bringing her back from whatever precipice she'd been standing at had been worth it. The group once again fell into a comfortable routine, and word of their exploits was beginning to spread. Hiko had done his job well; every tavern was abuzz with news of the daring Hood and his band of rebellious warriors. Other whispers were spread in the dark, too, more covertly. Murmurings of a town called Nottinghamshire, and the promise of a figure called the Night Watchman. Could anyone truly bring justice to the king himself, a man above the law well and truly?

The question was no longer whether someone _should_. Too many people had suffered at the hands of the king's enforcers and his taxes for any but the most loyal to presume to defend him any longer, but if there was one thing the people of Meiji knew, it was that they were powerless against the regime. Shishio the Usurper had the most powerful forces in the world at his disposal, and the loyalty of all the most powerful nobles, at least where it mattered. If any one of them harbored in their secret heart another loyalty, they did not show it, and it did none of the commoners any good.

This discontent was rising to a fever pitch, but as long as they were constrained by superior force, they would do what the people always did beneath a tyrant: survive, and hope that he did not. There might have been those who condemned them for this, but who could say that they were better to find a way to die than one to endure? For surely that was what voicing their true sentiments would mean: a merciless death.

_Except for them. _Hood's band and the Night Watchman. They were all still alive, despite an open defiance of the king's will. Could it be that there was hope left after all? The people could only watch, and wait.

* * *

Kaoru inhaled deeply of the evening air. The beginning of Spring was upon them, and she felt renewed. It would be a mistake to say that she did not think of her father often, and each instance produced a painful pang of sadness. But after a visit from Kamatari a couple of weeks ago, and a reading of a note addressed to her, she could not help but feel uplifted also.

She had been glad to see her old friend as well, and had gone so far as to ask if he might like to stay and join the little group, but the barman had laughed and reminded her that he was no fighter, and he had nieces to provide for besides. She had to admit, she'd felt a tad foolish for asking, but the good humor it had brought him made her think it worth the embarrassment.

Her father's letter was not all he had borne; indeed, he confessed that it was Saito who told him where to find the band, and he'd mentioned that though the conditions in Nottingham were bad, they were much worse elsewhere. It would appear that the heavy hand of the sheriff was not the same as the king's iron fist after all, and Kaoru had to admit that her opinion of the man was changing, if only a bit.

Actually, her opinion of nobles generally was undergoing some serious alteration. For every Shishio that confirmed her worst opinions of them, there was a Kenshin or an Aoshi or a Hiko to change her mind again. While having one's core assumptions challenged was not always pleasant, she knew it was doing her good.

_The people are waiting,_ Kamatari had told her. _The Hood has given them hope, and the Watchman has made them a promise. You do know what this means, don't you?_

Kaoru sighed as she thought of it. In truth, it had been a bit rash of her, to shoot the king's posters like that, but she had felt so… _right _in doing it, if for nothing more than the symbolic gesture. Yet, it seemed that it had become more than that. The implications were not something she had fully anticipated, but she felt bound by them all the same.

The young woman spotted Kenshin on the other side of the campfire, currently at work on breakfast, and smiled at him warmly. While she knew he wouldn't smile back he usually acknowledged her silent greeting with a nod or something of the sort, and the time she'd spent with him allowed her to understand that this was simply the way he was. She accepted it without rebuke; it was not as though she understood his inability to be cheerful but she did know that there must be a reason for it. Megumi was the same, to an extent, though she had seen the doctor smile in Sanosuke's presence, but never when he wasn't around.

Actually, it would make sense for her to bring her concerns up with Kenshin, now that she got to thinking about it. If anyone would have some idea of what to do… well, okay, actually, that might be Aoshi or Hiko, but for her anyway, talking to Kenshin was a bit more… something. He'd seen her in her worst moment, and hadn't thrown her out yet; there was a level of trust implicit in that, wasn't there?

"Kenshin?" she inquired softly. "Can I ask you something?"

The man temporarily stopped in his motion and looked her straight in the eye for a few long seconds, then nodded again. Understanding that this was as much permission as she was going to get, Kaoru plunged on ahead. "I think… that the people of Nottinghamshire expect me to do something about Shishio."

A silence stretched out between them, and Kaoru was afraid she'd said one of those things that made him withdraw into himself, like when she'd referenced his past or presumed (on her part) noble status. But this was fairly away from all that, wasn't it?

"…and?" he replied, in a voice so low and quiet she had trouble hearing him. "You said you had a question."

Kaoru reddened a little. She'd claimed to have a question and given a statement instead. "Erm… that is… do you think that we could?"

"Could what?" She could have sworn he was being intentionally obtuse by this point, but the matter was important enough that she wasn't going to take the bait and abandon her actual point.

"Do something. About Shishio. Stop him, not just his supplies. Stop them from suffering." She gestured vaguely with a hand. She had to admit, it sounded a bit presumptuous, said aloud, but the sentiment was no less true for its improbability.

Kenshin exhaled audibly, something she might have called a sigh if it were anyone else. Somehow, though, the idea of him sighing was just so strange that she couldn't name it that way. There was something in his expression; she would probably describe it as sadness, or maybe just resignation, and she wondered at it. Whichever it was, this marked the first time she had seen it on him.

"There is nothing that can be done," he said flatly, and she was for a moment stunned by the completely dull tone he used, as though he were stating an obvious piece of factual information.

"But-" she began, only to be cut off with a gesture.

"You do not understand," he continued. "It is not as though nobody tried to stop him, merely that it simply cannot be done."

"Oh really?" Kaoru countered indignantly. "If I don't understand, why don't you enlighten me?"

She hadn't really expected him to take her up on that, so when he next started talking, she was too surprised to interrupt. Not that she would have anyway; it seemed that he had finally decided to tell her something of himself, and she was going to listen until he could speak no more. "You probably know this already, but Shishio was not the first person in line to take the throne should something happen to Katsura. There was, in fact, a Crown Prince at the time, and I assure you that though he did not want to be king, he understood the necessity of preventing Shishio from doing so."

"But he was assassinated, right? I don't see-" apparently, she had already forgotten her resolution not to speak, but she had the grace to cut herself off this time. Kenshin looked the slightest bit amused, actually.

"Why the failure of some foppish noble has to have bearing on what success _we _might have?" She nodded mutely, and he shook his head. Kaoru felt a bit ashamed for holding such an immediate judgment for a noble she did not know, but she'd never really been given reason to believe otherwise, at least not until two months ago or so.

"The point is, the Crown Prince was not the sort of noble you would be thinking of. He was trained in the martial style of his uncle, and while not as masterful at it because of Hiko's disappearance at a relatively young age, he had learned bits and pieces from his other uncle, Katsura. The prince was son of these men's sister, you see. He served in the Second Crusade himself, much to the disappointment of both his mother and his betrothed, the Lady Tomoe. Katsura disappeared after the prince returned to the palace, and both the prince and his second knew what that meant. Either he had to be king, or Shishio would.

"It was with much reluctance that the prince staked his claim on the throne, and perhaps it was this that did him in. Perhaps if he had moved earlier, when his Second had advised him to, instead of getting caught up in his own refusal, then it would have turned out differently. As it was, he came to the realization a bit too late. Even as he was trying to cement his position by releasing his betrothed from a loveless engagement, Shishio's men fell on the both of them, and Tomoe was killed." Though his tone never changed throughout the entire tale, Kaoru thought she detected something odd in the way he told it, and then it hit her like the proverbial ton of bricks.

_Dense! I'm such an idiot! The prince was the one who knew Hiko's style, who else could it possibly be? _He must have seen the realization reach her face, for there was a trace of acknowledgement in Kenshin's.

"You understand now. I have missed my chance; there is no longer anything to be done. The only way I can prevent more deaths like hers, more needless deaths for my sake, is to stay well out of the way."

And it all finally made sense to Kaoru. Kenshin had not been refusing to help people out of some hard-heartedness (though she suspected this was a trait he _did _possess in some measure anyway) but out of a desire not to provoke Shishio's wrath upon the innocent.

She was angry at him for it. "Prevent needless deaths? Kenshin, what do you think this war is? What do you think happens to the people who rot in his jails who can't pay his taxes? Or those that starve because of them? Or his political enemies. Shishio _is _death, Kenshin. He's a blighted disease on the world. What was _my father's _death if not needless?"

He wouldn't meet her eyes, and she was angry with him for that too. Bristling, Kaoru stalked off, into a deeper part of the forest where she could cool off a bit. It was probably unfair, getting mad at him like that, but that wasn't like him at all, to seem so nihilistic. What was his problem anyway? He was probably the only person strong enough to do something, and he refused!

But could one person, no matter how strong, really accomplish something like that? He had Aoshi, and Misao and Yahiko and Sano. Gensai, too, and Megumi and maybe Hiko, if he wouldn't refuse to fight on principle. Argh, she should probably be mad at Hiko for the same reasons! At least he'd given up his throne only when there was a reasonable alternative.

But she still felt guilty for getting mad at him like that. It seemed so easy, so black and white, until you were actually involved. Hadn't her father told her that once? She could barely remember, which was troubling in and of itself. Sighing heavily, Kaoru swung herself into a tree branch, climbing high enough that she could see the forest all around, but in dense enough limbs that she herself would be hard to spot. She'd apologize to Kenshin later, but… right now she needed to figure out what exactly all this new information really meant.

Hood, the infamous bandit, and Kenshin the swordsman she both respected and thought she had understood, were one and the same. That was easy enough. To reconcile both of those images with the sort of person who might one day be king, though… that was exponentially harder.

Even as she was thinking this, she spotted Aoshi moving with an unusual amount of haste towards the camp. Him returning early in the morning from regions unknown was not so strange; she understood that he had a fair number of contacts in different towns, and often also assisted Hiko with distributing the gold they stole from the king. But for Aoshi to be in a _rush _to go anywhere… something was wrong, and Kaoru wasted no more time in going back to camp herself. Processing could wait; something was about to happen.

* * *

_A/N: Couple things; first, sorry it's kinda short. I have oodles of things to write that are not nearly as fun, but this week was going to be the only chance I had to get a chapter out of decent quality between now and the end of term._

_Second, and tangentially related: I may or may not have a chapter out two weeks from now. If I don't, expect it in three. It will be a full-length chapter, and mark the beginning of a shift in the direction of the story, so please bear with me as I try to survive Hell Week and finals. The end of term is always a bad time for us college students, as I'm sure many of you are personally aware, or that least know by association._

_That said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Any guesses as to what Aoshi's in such a hurry about? Virtual cookies to anyone who can guess it right... ;P_


	14. Chapter 11: Stories and Surveillance

Chapter 11: Stories and Surveillance

_

* * *

Now, if one is to be a good student of history, one must understand that not everything that happens is new. Oh no, things do have the tendency to repeat themselves, quite frequently in fact. This is not to say that everything is predictable of course; sometimes, the patterns are only visible in retrospect._

_Even so, some of them should be readily detectable to those with the correct information. It is sometimes a wonder to me that tyrants even bother to rise at all. Surely, such men have never made a study of the past, else they would know that they shall inevitably fall as well._

* * *

Kaoru sighed, trying not to let the solitary sign of her aggravation become audible for the two men in front of her. It was warmer here, closer to the southern border, though she suspected that had as much to do with the coming of spring than anything else. Swiping the back of one hand across her brow, she frowned slightly.

It wouldn't be as bad, really, if she was dressed in a different color. Black was quite stifling in the daylight, no matter its most useful stealth properties at night. Her other hand tightened slightly on Hagane's reins; presently, she was leading the horse, though she was of half a mind to just swing astride and leave the more long-legged members of their tiny band in her dust. But the stallion probably shouldn't be burdened any more than he already was, what with enough belongings for a three-person journey scheduled to take a few weeks.

Sano, perhaps sensing her discomfort, dropped back a bit to walk next to her, offering one of his patented silly grins. A brown hooded cloak in a light material currently overlay his rather distinctively-marked back; why he wore that symbol around everywhere was beyond her. She had the distinct feeling that Megumi was the only person that knew. For quite a while, Sanosuke's tactic for getting the woman to open up a bit was to accompany her walking every day, and you just knew that of the two, he was the one far more likely to talk. Whatever he did, she was integrating into the group much better now, and every once in a while, Kaoru was certain that there was something odd about the way they looked at each other. Misao obviously had reached the same conclusion, and she was ceaseless in her teasing of the shaggy-haired young man, at least until he got stuck into her about her precious Lord Aoshi.

Kaoru returned the smile, thinking of the last time that had happened. Aoshi himself had walked up on the spat, causing Misao to turn a bright, tomato-like shade and begin throwing sharp things in Sano's direction. Kaoru herself had lost it then, laughing until there were tears in her eyes; even Kenshin had contributed one of his rare smiles, though she was the only one who had caught it.

Her eyes flicked in the direction of the third traveler: Aoshi himself. It was not often that he showed any kind of reaction at all, but he had also seemed a bit amused. It was strange, that he was even more stonefaced than Kenshin. Sometimes, she wondered what had happened to make him that way, but she'd never asked. Though the two had developed what she thought was a mutual respect, it wasn't as though he were in the habit of conversing generally, and she wasn't the sort to press the point. Well, not with him at least.

Actually, the one time she'd seen him display something like emotion was about a week ago, and the consequences had been momentous. She'd leapt down from that tree, and listened in total shock as he explained to the group where he'd been for the past few days- gathering information on a tip from an informant. He'd wanted to be extra-careful to verify, but the rumor was definitely on the wind, even if the only ones that dared to whisper of it had been the dying.

Her reaction, of course, had been nowhere near as surprised as Kenshin's, though as always he was far more reserved about it than he was. She recalled the first words exactly, the ones that had sent the entire group into a tizzy. _King Katsura is still alive. _Aoshi had gone onto explain that he had it on good authority: some men from the front lines had returned injured, with the news that their squad had indeed encountered the supposedly-deceased king, being held in the heart of an enemy camp just south of the border. The presumption was that they intended to hold him for ransom, and Kenshin had snorted at that.

A reaction she well understood. Shishio would be far more likely to simply send a squad to eradicate the rightful monarch, and any Southlanders with him. She'd scowled herself, but then an idea had struck her, and she could almost se the resignation in Kenshin's face even as she opened her mouth. It was, in a way, the perfect solution. If they could somehow rescue Katsura, then he could return to take his throne back, and stop Shishio from slowly suffocating his own people in the ever-tightening grasp of the tyrant. Kenshin wouldn't have to, at least not yet, and nobody else would have to die needlessly, just as he'd confessed was his wish.

Of course, there was always the chance that they were chasing nothing, and it had been deemed important enough to continue helping the villages around the forest that they couldn't all go. Knowing that the people needed Hood, Kaoru had volunteered to go in Kenshin's stead, and Aoshi and Sano were both quick to accept as well. The three of them were a good balance of skill, and would hopefully have what was required to extract the king from the thick of his enemies without getting caught. Kaoru had chosen to take the whole thing on dressed as the Night Watchman; what could be more a defeat of Shishio than replacing him with the man who was truly meant to be king? She knew it was what her father would have done, without question.

She felt a pang in her chest, but suppressed it. Aoshi was slowing down, clearly looking for someplace to camp, and she would need to help prepare a small campsite for the three of them.

* * *

A few hours later, after a light meal (cooked by Aoshi, who she assumed must have picked a few things up after two years in a forest) the three of them sat at various angles around a crackling fire. Aoshi seemed to be deep in thought, staring at the fire as though it held something of great fascination for him. Sano, most uncharacteristically, was frowning, looking at some oddly-specific point on the horizon, eyebrows descending over warm irises gone somehow frostier than the other man's. She didn't like it.

"Sano?" It took three more repetitions of his name before he snapped out of it, eyes abruptly coming into focus. Shaking himself, he tried to plaster a grin on his face, only to fail spectacularly. She looked at him expectantly, raising an eyebrow, and he sighed.

"Out with it Sano," she commanded, but not without genuine concern. Of everyone in camp, Misao included, Sano was the most often in a good mood (though he only won because he did much less slightly-angsty mooning over Megumi than Misao did over Aoshi, or at least she heard less of it. The again, it would be kind of strange if Sano came to her with his romantic problems like the girl did.

He contemplated for a long moment, rubbing at the back of his neck with one hand. "I'm just not too fond of this particular part of the country, ya know?"

"No," replied Kaoru for the both of them (since Aoshi was clearly listening now as well), "I don't. Care to explain?"

The stubborn look on her face was enough to draw the laughter from him, and he shook his head ruefully. "Ya know something, missy? I'm beginning to understand why Kenshin doesn't bother fightin' with ya." Leaning back a little, he seemed to be trying to decide what to say. Kaoru let him; it was obvious enough that he was going to tell them, and it would be unkind to force him to haste. She shot a look at Aoshi across the fire, but if he knew anything of what was coming, his face did not betray the fact.

"I was telling the truth, ya know. This place… I hate it. Not fifteen, twenty miles that way-" he pointed in the direction he'd been staring earlier- "Is the place I was born."

"Blackburn," put in Aoshi, "former seat of power for the Stone Wall of the West." This seemed to mean something to the dark-haired man, but Kaoru only knew of the Stone Wall as a powerful officer during the First Crusade.

Sano smiled bitterly. "Emphasis on former. That bastard… most people think he's a hero; I know better. I should too, given that he's my old man." Kaoru groaned; was everyone she'd ever met secretly nobility? Because she was seriously beginning to think so.

"Heh, I know what ya mean, missy. But he doesn't have a title anymore, and he damn well doesn't deserve one either." Sano's hands clenched involuntarily into fists at his side for a moment, before he took a calming breath and continued. "He was only ever lower-level to begin with, nobody who'd be sharing drinks with the king or anything, but he really screwed himself over with his own stupid choices. Ya see, my mother was a commoner, born and bred, and that meant she had a good head on her shoulders, but not much in the way of money, ya know? Sometimes, I wonder what she was thinkin', marrying the old man, but then I guess sometimes people do stupid things when they think they're in love." He paused for a moment, thoughts clearly elsewhere before he remembered his audience.

"Anyway, for whatever reason, he decided she wasn't good enough for him one day, and started chasing skirt way above his station. Lady Morino, I think, not that it matters. Anyway, mom found out about it at around the same time as Lord Morino did. The guy was powerful enough to get dear old dad's title stripped from him and given to someone else. We were thrown out, and the ass took off without even apologizing for what he did. Mom- she died of grief, I guess." The words were a bit thick, as if he were forcing them past his throat, and Kaoru felt a pang of sympathy.

"Well, I was a rich kid with no skills and nothing to my name anymore except my fists, so I signed on with a mercenary company as soon as I was good enough to hold my own. Sometimes, I think Captain Sagara took me on to keep me out of street fights more than because I was qualified." He smiled humorlessly, wryly, and Kaoru thought it was most unlike him.

"After my service, I guess I just kinda turned into a vagrant. Actually almost got arrested before ya found me." He shrugged, but at least his grin turned genuine. There was silence for a few minutes as Kaoru processed what he'd said. Sano's disdain for the nobility made a lot more sense than hers had, she had to admit. Between his father and the Morinos, his experience with them had not been all that happy at all.

Sano, apparently uncomfortable with the lengthening quiet, spoke up again. "So, Aoshi, what's your story?"

The blue-eyed man shot him a look, then shook his head very slightly. "There is little to it."

Kaoru smiled; of course he would be reticent to share. Aoshi rarely talked, and never about himself. "Oh I don't know," she said. "It has to be more interesting than mine."

Aoshi arced one black eyebrow. "More interesting than the generational legacy of a ghost?"

The young woman smiled sheepishly. "You know what I mean." And indeed he did. For a while, she thought he was going to choose to ignore the question anyway, but to her surprise, he lifted a shoulder and spoke.

"Kenshin and I became acquainted on the field of battle. He was the commanding officer of my unit. Back then, his Second was a different man, of similar rank to myself. We were ambushed in the field, partially due to that man, and most of the unit died. He saved my life, and I his as well. Kenshin made me Second thereafter." Kaoru was struck by the similarity between this story and the one Hiko had told her about her father. She certainly understood the loyalty Kenshin and Aoshi had for each other a little more though. While he was clearly leaving out some of the finer details, she could certainly say that she appreciated the insight.

She smiled broadly at both of them; Sano rolled his eyes but grinned in reply, Aoshi merely inclining his head. "I shall take the first watch," he contributed, "it is best that the two of you get some sleep."

Kaoru agreed, and it was not too long before she was tucked firmly into her bedroll. Who'd have thought that the fletcher's daughter would one day be on a quest to rescue a captured king? It had certainly never occurred to her. _Father… I hope you're proud of me. _But she knew he was; Koshijiro had told her so himself, in his letter, and her father never said anything he did not mean.

The thought was a pleasant one, and she held it close to herself as she fell into slumber.

* * *

"Do they really think that's going to work, ransoming him?" Kaoru's voice was low, pitched softly enough that the two men could barely hear, which was just as well, given their proximity to the enemy encampment.

Aoshi had to admit to himself that when he had heard the rumors of the king's capture, he hadn't taken them as likely. Still, any word of that nature was something worth investigating, and he'd known that conveying everything to Kenshin was in this instance a necessity. Now that they had found the man, it was beginning to make sense.

Kaoru was asking the correct question. For someone who knew nothing of politics, she seemed to have an intuitive understanding of this sort of thing- certainly better than Kenshin's. The man was intelligent enough, of course, but his hatred of the subject had always been something of a hindrance. Aoshi appraised his female teammate for a moment before answering. "I do not believe so, no. In all likelihood, they intend for Shishio to send people to kill him. Once word gets out of it, the nation will be further divided."

"And more easily conquered." Her mouth was set in a grim line beneath the mask; he was close enough to tell. In response, Aoshi merely nodded silently, making the signal for quiet and gesturing his two companions to move forward.

The plan was simple in design, but hopefully just simple enough to work. Kaoru would provide the distraction: the fame of the Night Watchman had likely made it even here, as much as the Outlanders loved hearing tell of those who meddled with Meiji from within. The combination of that and an impressive stealth ability should make for the ideal diversion. Aoshi and Sano would then sneak to where the king was being held near the center of the encampment, and take out the remaining guards before releasing Katsura. They had no idea what condition the man was in, but that was what Sano was for. He could carry the incapacitated man to cover if need be while Aoshi provided defense. All in all, it was the best way of utilizing the skills at their disposal, though it was highly risky, and for Kaoru more than anyone. She seemed to understand this, though, and had accepted her role without hesitation anyway.

The three split off, Kaoru in one direction, Aoshi and Sano in another. The signal would be to her discretion; they would move only when she did. The two men soon found cover not too far from the ideal entrance point to the camp, and waited. A few minutes passed, during which absolutely nothing changed, and Aoshi was beginning to wonder what was going on. Sano shifted restlessly in his crouch beside him, and Aoshi's eyes narrowed.

Suddenly, there was a cry, as an arrow struck a man's shoulder and he fell to the ground. If Aoshi knew anything about Kaoru, she had placed it so precisely as to be non-fatal, but debilitating, possibly even enough to render a person unconscious, or at least unable to fight. The reaction in the other soldiers was instantaneous; a good two-thirds of them rushed in the direction of whatever had happened, including the group nearest Aoshi and Sano.

Aoshi was about to give the signal for himself and the other man to move when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. Turning, the dark-haired man clenched his jaw. It would seem he'd made a gross calculation. "Shishio's soldiers," he whispered to Sano, and the other man's eyes went wide. "We've been compromised. Go; get the king. I'll hold them off. If you see Kaoru, tell her to get out of here as fast as possible."

Sano nodded grimly and dashed away.

* * *

It was a complete and utter disaster, and Sanosuke knew it. "Hey missy!" he bellowed, knowing that Kaoru would be able to hear him wherever she was. "Shishio's goons are here! Get the hell outta here!" At this point, he didn't care who heard him. Actually, if the force here heard as well, some of tem might turn and engage the incoming squadron; he doubted the guys were just going to roll over and die, even if that was what their country intended for them.

Flinging a fist at someone with a Meiji uniform, he didn't stop to watch the man crumple to the ground. Right now, Sano had a monarch to find, and damned if he was going to fail in that.

Unfortunately, Kaoru seemed to have given her attackers the slip, which, while good generally, also meant that they were free to surround him, and Sano came to a dead stop, finding himself circled by no less than a dozen Southland mercenaries. He'd grown up close enough to the border to know what that meant; mercs down here didn't survive long if they weren't tough as nails.

He couldn't help the slow grin that spread across his face. Cracking his knuckles audibly, Sano stared down his would-be opponents. "Now, who's first?" he drawled, stepping casually to the side when one guy decided to take the bait and have a go at it. Bringing his elbow into heavy contact with the side of the guy's head, Sano made an exaggerated show of rolling his eyes.

"You're gonna have to do better than that."

* * *

_A/N: Hello, everybody, back again! I'm not even sure if this is my scheduled update week or if I'm late... time has been so weird for the last few weeks it's hard to keep track. Anyway, exams are now over, so I should have no reason not to publish every two weeks from here onwards. A thank you to everyone who wished me luck; I appreciate it a great deal. _

_Nobody seemed to want to guess what Aoshi's news was, but you found out pretty soon into this one, anyway. I always do love hearing predictions though, so if you have one, feel free to send it my way! Thanks to everyone who's been leaving reviews; I feel so loved! =)  
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	15. Chapter 12: Kings and Kin

Chapter 12: Kings and Kin

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* * *

Marriage in Meiji is on some senses highly-regulated by custom and cultural more, but generally not by law. Generally speaking, arrangements for such things within the nobility are made almost upon birth, and sometimes familial loyalty may push it back even further. For example, the ties between the Duchy of Montagne and the Crown were so strong that the Duchess Tomoe was promised to the future king of Meiji before either was so much as conceived, part of a complex arrangement concocted as a means of thanking that house for their unfailing loyalty. _

_Marrying outside of one's social class is not explicitly outlawed, but a match too far away from one's own status is considered disadvantageous for both parties. The noble is missing an opportunity to advance their status or position, and the commoner or lower-born person is simply without the correct upbringing to cope with the rigid court expectations of Meiji. The royal family is explicitly forbidden from marrying someone whose family is not of requite status; this is an ancient protective measure designed to secure power against allegations of blood pollution. One notable exception exists in our history, and it was in the aftermath of this particular royal couple's reign that the law was overturned. In the time period we are dealing with, however, the regulation is still in full effect. _

* * *

Kaoru, had, as it turned out, managed to elude her pursuers for the most part, and was currently situated in the boughs of a nearby tree, firing arrows as soon as she managed to find clear shots. The problem was, she had no idea who she should be firing them _at. _Shishio's soldiers seemed just as willing to attack herself and her friends as the hostage-takers. Then again, both groups probably thought them with the others, if such things even mattered when the slaughter was this wholesale.

She'd heard Sano's call to retreat, of course, but she had no intention of leaving this place without the king. She was going to succeed at this, to bring Kenshin's uncle back, to show him that a person should never lose hope.

It was something she'd decided on the way here, that Kenshin's essential problem was the absence of hope. He just didn't believe that anything could be done to stop the whole situation, and he was deeply afraid of what he might lose if he tried again. There was no way she was going to have that. No, he would come to understand that there was _always _cause for hope, if one knew where to look.

But this necessitated finding Katsura, and she wasn't going to accomplish that in this tree. Slinging her bow over her back (she was just about out of arrows anyway), Kaoru dropped noiselessly to the ground, landing with the catlike grace that had been trained into her for years. Withdrawing but one of her twin knives, she crept along the edges of the clearing, trying to spot someone who looked like a prisoner. She passed Sano, apparently enjoying the opportunity to cut loose and currently occupying himself with the task of pummeling anyone and everyone who crossed his path. She knew hand-to-hand well enough, but Sano was something else. There should be no reason his clumsy, clearly self-taught style worked, but it did. Maybe it was the simple efficiency. Other people thought their blows through and developed plans; Sano just did what came naturally to him. It was admirable, in a way, but she didn't have time to dwell upon it.

Judging from a commotion on the other side of camp, Aoshi was presently waylaid by another group himself, and several areas held skirmishes between the contrasting forces of Shishio's army and the Southland mercenaries. It was as she approached on of these groups, careful to remain unseen, that she spotted him. A man, up and about but clearly not in good shape, stood surrounded by several of the Usurper's thugs, defending himself with nothing but a piece of firewood. Watching, it was easy to tell that though he probably wasn't as good as Hiko, the man knew what he was doing, and his movement had the same sudden, deadly quality to it as Kenshin's, even with such a humble weapon in hand.

One of the thugs swung his blade, and Kaoru did not hesitate, drawing her other knife and throwing herself at the man's unprotected flank, slamming a foot against the back of his knee with enough force to cause his immediate collapse. The rest was taken care of with a swift blow to the side of his head, courtesy of the solitary fighter's makeshift implement, which snapped upon the impact.

* * *

"Tch," Katsura scoffed, throwing away the useless remains of his defense. Surprisingly, he found that a slight figure in black was offering him a finely-made knife with a long blade. Not quite enough to qualify as an odachi, but longer than a tanto. It would do.

Accepting the handle, he raised the thing in a defensive posture, further bewildered when the masked figure assumed a stance at his back. "So you are to be my ally, then, are you?" The cloaked person seemed to hesitate in the answering, and Katsura found himself smiling. "It has been quite some time since I have known the company of such a person. Shall we? I promise not to kill them, Watchman."

The shock was evident in the momentary stiffening of the hooded fighter, and he had to stop the amused smirk from creeping onto his face. He had suspected as much. Not to many people ran about in such a guise, and there were still a few black arrows left in the quiver he bore, no less. Still, it was clearly not the man he had expected to be wearing this cloak; Koshijiro Kamiya was supposed to be considerably taller.

As one, the two of them leapt forward, and Katsura engaged three men at once with the rather uncomfortably short weapon in his hands. He knew that if this person was anything like Kamiya, this was but one of many weapons he would be familiar with, and he began to question all the skepticism he'd had for a style which masters no weapon, but learns many. That sort of knowledge would certainly help him now. Then again, it was just like Kamiya to be right in the end, if the letters his brother had sent him from the front lines had been anything to go by.

Still, these men were little challenge for him in any but the greatest numbers. Were he in better health, he might very well have been able to manage all of them on his own with no more than the firewood. As it was, he was grateful for the assistance offered. Swinging into the first man with the blunt side of the blade, he followed up with a slam of the hilt into the fool's stomach, sending him to his knees. The finisher was interrupted by the other two. The second, Katsura sent to the ground with a well-timed punch, and the third fell beneath a crushing blow to the collarbone with the flat of the knife.

He turned to face the other one, who had recovered sooner than the king had anticipated and was charging him, sword drawn. This was going to be a painful block, and Katsura readied himself even as a booted foot appeared over the man's shoulder, making contact with an audible crack. Raising an eyebrow, the king took stock of that and the four other limp-but-breathing bodies arranged about the small man. "My, my… you don't waste time, do you?"

He thought he could discern a smile beneath the mask, but all observations to this effect ceased when the figure spoke. "I could say the same for you, Your Majesty. I thought hostages were supposed to stay tied up until someone rescued them." The voice was, among other things, very _feminine._

"Of course not," he replied easily. "Not when the hostages are people like us. Now I _know _you aren't Koshijiro Kamiya." The face beneath the mask became stony for a moment before she shook her head.

"No, I'm afraid my father is deceased."

A small pause. "Forgive me; I was unaware." He gestured to the surroundings, and his meaning was enough to ease the tension a bit.

"Of course not. Sorry." Blue eyes flicked to the several battles still taking place; it seemed like nobody was going down easily. "We should get out of here. Aoshi and Sano will doubtless be trying to extricate themselves as well." She bowed slightly before grabbing his forearm, and he was torn between amusement at her complete lack of decorum and being a bit troubled at the mention of the first name.

"Lord Shinomori is with you? Then... my nephew…" Katsura trailed off; it appeared the rumors of Kenshin's death were true after all. There was no way a man as loyal as Shinomori would leave him were he still breathing. The king could feel the bile of hard reality rising in the back of his throat. While it was true that he and Kenshin had their disagreements, he truly cared for his sister's son and his heir. Hearing of the loss was worse than he had anticipated.

"Is just as stubborn as ever, I'm afraid," she replied easily, apparently unaware of the impact her words were having. "But don't worry; you'll be able to see for yourself soon enough."

He couldn't help the next question. Even as she gestured for silence, he continued his inquiries in a hoarse whisper. "You know Kenshin?"

She looked back at him then, and something in her eyes softened just the slightest bit. _Don't tell me…_ the thought was cut off by her answer. "Yes," she replied simply. "He… Kenshin has done much to help me. I hope that I might be able to repay him someday." Any response he might have made was cut off as she signaled for quiet again, this time with more urgency, and Katsura crouched beside her, straining his ears to try and hear what she was hearing.

A small rustling noise met his senses, and a man in a brown hooded cloak over white clothes that seemed quite bloodied emerged into their line of sight. Katsura tensed, but he felt the woman at his side relax, and took that to mean that this was the other person she had mentioned. The woman rose from her own crouch, and met the man with little more sound than a leaf in the wind. Luckily, the man did not need to hear her, for she was well in his line of sight.

"Missy!" he whispered urgently. "What happened? I told you to-"

"Sano," she replied with no less authority, "I found the king."

"You what?" This appeared to worry the one called Sano far more than it probably should have, and Katsura might have asked why himself until the answer became readily apparent. "Aoshi was looking for him. Did you see him?" At the shake of the woman's head, he ran a hand through unruly brown hair before biting back a curse. "Uh… okay… let's see. You take the king and get out of here as fast as possible. I'll go find Aoshi, and we'll follow you."

"No," she said, her voice low, but no longer a whisper. "You're injured. You take him, and Hagane. I'll find Aoshi. The two of us have the best chance of getting out of here unnoticed, and you know it." Her tone brooked no argument, and though the tall man looked like he was about to protest, one glare from her silenced him, and he gave a resigned sigh instead.

"I swear, Missy, sometimes you scare me a little. Well, better get a move on, Your Majesty, otherwise the Missy here will have both our hides." Katsura blinked, but otherwise gave no sign of his thoughts on the matter. He himself was not fond of leaving people behind, either, but he understood well the position he was in, and followed silently. The two did not take long to reach a proud-looking warhorse, and Sano gestured for the king to swing astride.

"I'll run beside ya," he explained. "Don't wanna be too far away if they need us." Katsura privately agreed. Out loud, however, he asked the question that had been nagging at him for a while now.

"How did you know where to find me?" The king had spent more than two years in the captivity of the Southlanders, and had long since abandoned all hope of being rescued, right up until the moment the cloaked person had pressed a knife into his hand.

They were far enough away from the camp to speak now, but Sano's eyes remained watchful, perhaps wary of a rear guard of some sort. "Aoshi got wind of some rumors that you were alive. Missy wasn't about to let that go, and the two of us volunteered to come along." He shrugged as though this were a perfectly natural occurrence, but Katsura could barely believe his ears.

"That seems a bit overzealous, chasing a rumor after two years." He found it difficult to believe that his nephew would have agreed to such a thing, were he in hiding. The logic of the decision was questionable at best.

Sano chuckled a bit darkly. He seemed to understand exactly what Katsura was thinking, though, if his response was anything to go by. "Well, it might be at that, but that's the kind of person she is. Kenshin doesn't always like it, but he does listen to her."

That alone was enough to leave the king rather flabbergasted. He couldn't really remember the last time Kenshin had heeded anyone's advice when it ran contrary to his own stubborn will. The boy's mother had only been able to manage it when he was small, and Tomoe had never really gotten the hang of it. "Most extraordinary," he muttered under his breath, but there was little doubt that the youth beside him had heard.

Rolling his eyes, Sano nodded. "You can say that again."

* * *

The last foe slid to kiss the earth beneath his feet, bleeding shallowly from several non-fatal wounds. Aoshi did not share Kaoru's reservations about killing people; far from it. Neither, though, did he particularly enjoy it, and even the stoic Second could not bring himself to remember without a twinge of something resembling guilt the look on her face after the execution of Takeda. If that was how he felt after the death of a mortal enemy, he did not want to know what havoc the woman would be capable of wrecking should he kill somebody less wicked. Strangely, Misao had taken to this sort of thing, this deathless combat, with aplomb, and he supposed it would not hurt to do so either. At least not for the moment.

The confrontation had taken longer than he thought, what with the necessary adjustments for nonlethality, and he understood why Kenshin thought it a challenge. Another reason for consideration, perhaps. Unfortunately, he would be abandoning the notion should it take much more time to find the king. There were more important considerations than Kaoru's conscience, after all.

Speaking of which, he took note of the figure ghosting on noiseless feet towards him, and was once again impressed by the girl's ability to blend. He would be interested to see if she could sneak past him. Now, though, she was making herself readily visible, and Aoshi stepped over a groaning body, tossing the man's weapon into a large pile of them too far away for any of the incapacitated mercenaries to reach. Aoshi didn't take chances if he could avoid it.

"We found him," the woman informed the dark-haired man in modulated tones, and Aoshi nodded. It seemed pushing for Kaoru's place in the band had been one of those rare chances that paid off handsomely. "Sano's already getting him as far away from here as he can."

"Why are you not with them?" he asked cautiously, wondering if something had gone amiss.

Kaoru tilted her head to the side and regarded him steadily. Apparently deciding that the question was, in fact, genuine, she shook her head slowly. "I should think that would be obvious," she replied quietly. "I wasn't about to leave anyone behind." A small smile under the mask, and she turned.

It was this movement, perhaps, that allowed her to catch out of the corner of her eye something that Aoshi couldn't see. Soft, bright blue eyes widened momentarily, and then Kaoru slammed into him with her shoulder, dislodging him from his position with what force her light body weight could muster. Aoshi grunted with the impact, taking a few steps backward to stop from falling. He caught a small sound, and Kaoru's feet fell out from underneath her.

Confused for a moment, he stepped forward and caught her easily, eyes narrowing when he caught sight of the dart protruding from the smooth skin of her neck. Muttering an oath under his breath, Aoshi debated his next move for a split second before gathering the limp woman up in his arms. The dart, he removed and pocketed. They would need to know what kind of poison had been used in order to cure her, if they could even get her back to camp before… no, it was best not to consider such things. He had considered showing her attacker exactly what happened to people who interfered with the people Aoshi and his lord claimed custody over, but there was not enough time for that.

Taking off at a dead sprint, Aoshi left the chaotic field of battle behind. As soon as he caught up with Sano, he would try and figure out what kind of toxin they were dealing with, and do what he could for it. Still, he was not a doctor, and he doubted very much a timed attack meant for him would have any readily-available antidote. That had likely been one of Shishio's assassins, maybe even intended for Katsura himself. In absence of his true target, the attacker would have gone for the next high-priority target he could find- Kenshin's Second. Kaoru's actions had foiled him on both counts, but at what cost?

* * *

Misao could not help but think that if the three missing members of their group didn't return soon, she was going to scream. The silence around camp had been about equivalent to Lord Aoshi on a particularly pensive day, and she was losing it. Kenshin had spoken barely two words to anyone, and his eyes kept drifting in the direction the rescue party had gone, as though he were expecting their return at any moment. It had only gotten worse as time went on. Misao almost thought he looked… worried. But that was silly, right? People like Kenshin and Lord Aoshi didn't worry.

Megumi was as stoic-faced as ever, except she wasn't too good at it sometimes, and it was obvious _she _was worried sick. Probably mostly for Sano, which Misao could understand because he was the most reckless of the lot of them. But that wasn't exactly fair; she knew Megumi cared about everyone in the group, even if she usually only showed it by being cold and a little bit bossy.

Yahiko… that was just weird. She'd never known Yahiko to lose his annoying petulance when anyone went on a raid or anything, and so the fact that he disappeared for hours at a time to go practice with a couple of foot-and-a-half long branches or the bow they'd recently acquired from a raid and some Kaoru-made arrows was more than a little confusing to her. He seemed to have gotten more mature in the past few months or so, but maybe she was just imagining it.

Sometimes, Misao felt like she was the only one who never really changed. She still hopelessly mooned over Lord Aoshi, and was called out on it by everyone except Kenshin and Aoshi himself, who never seemed to notice her except when she was trying to practice her stealth. Heaving a too-loud sigh just to break the silence, the girl dropped to the forest floor and lay with her hands behind her head staring off into space. Sano and Kaoru had taken all the life of the group with them when they left, it seemed, and she missed Aoshi something awful.

Of course, Misao had enough faith in her friends that she wasn't worried for a second. Sano was like a brick wall; hit him and you're the one that winds up hurt. Kaoru was everything Misao had always wanted to be: generous, kind, and strong in just about every way she could think of. There was a twinge of jealousy there, but the combination of Kaoru's apparent ignorance of these qualities and Misao's own inability to hold a grudge meant that it never really came between them at all.

And Lord Aoshi… well, that was obvious, wasn't it? There was no way anything could touch someone like him. He'd protect the others, if it came to that. She knew it. A big, silly smile settled onto Misao's face even as her eyes drifted closed.

* * *

Upon first sight of the bedraggled traveling party that shot with desperate haste straight for the middle of camp, Megumi nearly dropped the basket of plants she'd been carrying. Such a thing would have been unspeakably impractical, however, and she was able to galvanize her numb limbs into movement in enough time to tighten her fingers on the wicker and follow them.

By the time she caught up with the four, the scene was pure chaos. She took quick note that a man who could not have been other than the rightful king of Meiji was descending stiffly from Kaoru's horse. A wide-eyed Misao was clutching unconsciously at Aoshi's sleeve, and the stoic man was for once displaying some discernible fatigue and stress, mouth turned down and eyes weary.

That alone would have been enough to warrant Megumi's concern, but then her eyes found Sanosuke automatically, as they had a tendency to do, and she really did drop her basket at what she saw.

Cradled gently in his arms was Kaoru, looking pale as death and trembling weakly. Abandoning all pretense of dignity, Megumi rushed forward, pushing past a Yahiko who looked as though he wasn't sure what to do with himself but was verging on tears. "Aoshi, Misao, prepare somewhere for her to rest," she ordered, and the two did not hesitate to obey. "Yahiko, get some water from the stream and boil it. Your Majesty, please find Kenshin. He should not be too far from here." She leveled a grave stare at Katsura, and the man nodded, disappearing to do just that.

A mat was laid out for Kaoru, along with several extra blankets, most of them recognizable as Misao's, and Megumi had Sano lay the young woman down on them. "Tell me what happened," the doctor asked of the two men, checking Kaoru's vital signs.

"Poison," Aoshi replied curtly. "From an assassin's dart. I've identified it as Weeping Nightshade." The Second pulled a dart from his pocket, and the physician simply nodded. Weeping Nightshade was among the deadliest poisons known to medicine, renowned for producing a slow and agonizing death. Kaoru's unconsciousness at present was a small mercy. In all likelihood, her company had been kept awake at night by what happened when she could not remain asleep any longer. Most people died a death screaming their lungs out, at least until their bodies couldn't summon the energy anymore.

"I almost thought I was wrong," Aoshi confessed, and he seemed to be studying Kaoru's pallid face. "She was remarkably silent."

Sano snorted. "In a more lucid moment, she told me she didn't want to be a burden on anyone."

Megumi would have rolled her eyes were the situation not quite so dire. That sounded like Kaoru all right. "If she still has the presence of mind to be so foolish, that's a good sign," she replied evenly. The prognosis for one with such poisoning was never good, but Kaoru was strong, and Megumi knew more than a little about poisons and antidotes.

Aoshi and Misao left, apparently distracted by something at the edge of camp for the moment, but Megumi had no time to care. Trying to force her hands not to quake as she worked proved difficult, and she swallowed audibly. She'd had life in her hands so many times before, on both ends of poison, so why was it that she couldn't bring herself that same calm right now? The doctor felt a hand on her shoulder, and glanced up to find Sano looking down on her with an expression of such complete trust that it nearly broke her heart all over again.

"You can do this, Megumi," he said quietly, and squeezed gently. _Megumi. Not fox, not doctor, not woman. _She couldn't control the small thrill that worked its way down her spine at the simple, raw, unadorned way he spoke her name, and she felt her hands steady.

"Of course I can," she replied with a half-smile that had him smirking right back at her. "But not with you standing about distracting me. Go get my kit."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, but the joke was halfhearted. The situation was too important to make light of, really. His hand leaving her shoulder made it feel strangely cold, but Megumi ignored it to focus on Kaoru.

_You will live. Because if you don't, I… we need you, Kaoru, and I not least of all. _The woman's indomitable spirit had proved a boost to Megumi's own on more than one occasion, and it was not difficult to tell that Kaoru had become the adhesive that kept the group together. Kenshin might be its leader, but without this young woman, none of them would have a reason to stay, not really. The group and the mission made this camp in the middle of nowhere a place to be, but Kaoru made it home, and there were but a few of them who remained unaware of this fact.

* * *

Yahiko sat near the fire, tending the pot of boiling water that he was refreshing for Megumi, who, having done all that could be done for Kaoru at the moment, had moved to tending the wounds of the others. The king- and boy, was that weird to think- had yet to return with Kenshin, but Yahiko wasn't all that surprised. He was probably with Hiko. That wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Usually, if anyone wanted him for something, Kaoru would… Kaoru would…

Yahiko swiped madly at his traitorous eyes, trying to rid them of all that hot moisture and tingling sensation, before shooting a glance over at where she lay, still unmoving. He couldn't hold the sight for too long, though, and his eyes slid back to the fire. Still not boiling.

A noise from the other end of camp caught his attention, and Yahiko's head snapped to it, in time to see Kenshin stride in with purpose, flanked by Hiko and the king. Aoshi intercepted him, explaining the situation in low tones. There was a pause of complete silence once the tall man's murmuring ceased, and then Yahiko was hit with a wave of ki so intense he thought he was going to vomit. Even Hiko took a step or two backward, and all eyes immediately flew to Kenshin.

For all his caravan raiding and general defiance of authority, it had been a long time since Yahiko had truly known fear, and it had never been quite like this. He found himself unable to move, to speak, to do anything, and the feeling of roiling in the pit of his stomach intensified to a nearly unbearable level. Primal instincts he did not know he possessed urged him to flee, but he was rooted to the spot. Kenshin's eyes were a bright, molten gold that easily surpassed the color they had been on the day Yahiko met him, or anything he'd seen since. Gone was the mild amber hue they'd held lately.

Hiko narrowed his eyes and gripped Kenshin's shoulder, which seemed to break the spell over the camp, and everyone suddenly found themselves able to think clearly again, Misao and himself going so far as to shake their heads as if to bring themselves back to the present. In the next instant, Kenshin had crossed the camp and was kneeling beside Kaoru, peppering Megumi with curt questions which she answered with as much calm as she could muster after what had just happened.

The man stood, then, and again everyone looked to him, this time infusing the air with an atmosphere of heavy expectation. Something had to be done, but what?

When Kenshin spoke, it was with a barely-contained shaking rage that made Yahiko flinch despite himself.

"Shishio has been allowed to do as he pleases for too long. I realize now something that most of you have known for a very long time. We are no longer simply motivated to end his tyranny by our sense of right or wrong- we are obligated by a debt owed a friend. It has gone too far, and your revolution begins now. See to it that you prepare yourselves."

_

* * *

A/N:_

_Hey, look, a long chapter! I added in more than I was going to as a New Year's present to all my lovelyawesomefantastic readers. I figured that since tonight marks another turning point in time, I might put the crucial turning point into the story as well. Happy New Year, guys!_

_Also… I've been reading Aoshi/Kaoru stories lately. I didn't think I'd like them, but I'm kind of tempted to write one when this is done. Thoughts? Does this make me a traitor? :P_

_Anywho, twelve awesome points to anyone who leaves a review. And if you've ever seen 'Whose Line is it Anyway?' you know the points don't matter, but everyone still likes them. Best to all of you in 2011. _


	16. Chapter 13: Dreamers and Daylight

Chapter 13: Dreamers and Daylight

_

* * *

The Great Revolution of Meiji was begun in the third year of the reign of Shishio the Usurper, by the very ones he'd dethroned, no less. It would be a mistake to assume, however, that such a small number of people could have hoped to stand against the armies on their own. _

_On the contrary, sound strategy and planning would be absolutely essential, and the would-be rebels would have to use every method at their disposal to help bring down the tyrant. It helped that by this time Shishio was wildly unpopular, but more than this bitterness alone would be necessary to move the populace to action. _

_It was in answering this problem that the Crown Prince would find some among his allies especially useful resources, and it would be no mistake to say that it was truly the commoners amidst them that made this revolt into a true revolution. The ingenuity, charisma, and tactical skill employed by those who had been drawn to the prince's company were as praiseworthy as any general in history. You understand, perhaps, why this is an important story now? Though royalty led it, 'twas the peasantry that bled for it. _

* * *

A series of conversations with Katsura, Aoshi, and Sano had brought Kenshin to the truth of what had transpired during the rescue mission, and he was not sure whether to be highly impressed by Kaoru or berate her for her foolishness. She had shown more spirit than most soldiers ever did, and her dedication to those around her was something even he could never hope to match. She had rescued his uncle and saved Aoshi both, and he could not deny that he was indebted to her on both counts.

Katsura had brought a peculiar little detail to his attention, though. Apparently, during the course of their conversation in the minutes following his escape, Kaoru had relayed that she believed herself to owe _him _something, which he found most unusual. Certainly, she was living with his group, but she paid more than her board with every raid, and he was not quite so dense as to be unable to see that she changed his world more than a little. Under her urging, they had rescued Megumi, raided caravans, brought relief, however temporary, to the citizens of Meiji, and undertaken what should have been an impossible mission to rescue a dead king. It was even her influence that had prompted him to declare that Aoshi would have his revolution, though he knew not what she would think of it.

Presently, he was keeping watch over both the camp and the injured woman, seated on a log not too far from the fire, and also near her bedside. It was interesting, to observe the layout of the group now. If he had needed further evidence that Kaoru's injury had shaken them to their core, he need not look beyond the changes that had occurred in something so simple as the way they arranged their slumber. Everyone was much closer to the fire, now, and to each other by association, as though they were closing ranks. Kaoru herself was laid out on a mat with some contribution from everyone. Yahiko slept to her left, within arm's reach, as though he would protect her from any further harm himself. Misao was on her other side, presently pressed back-to-back with Aoshi, something that the man was no doubt both aware of and consciously allowing, at least for now.

Sano was to Yahiko's other side, having fought and lost to be beside Kaoru. He didn't seem to mind much, though; his arm was casually slung around Megumi's waist, and Kenshin wondered if the woman had noticed at all. Katsura had disappeared with Hiko shortly after Kaoru's safety for the moment had been established. Even he was not immune from this tendency, it seemed. He could have chosen anywhere in camp to post his watch, but he found himself with the half-explicable desire to be near her.

Kaoru stirred in her sleep, and his eyes immediately snapped to her. Apparently, she was just shifting onto her side, though, and the movement ceased shortly after. She had managed to dislodge her woolen blanket though, and her body reflexively convulsed with the onslaught of the cold. Without stopping to think about it, Kenshin stood and covered the few feet between them, kneeling beside her and grasping the edges of the blanket in his hands to set it back in place. She gave a small sigh of contentment and relaxed slightly, prompting the tiniest of smiles to ghost across his face before he remembered that she was not merely sleeping, but trying to fight off a deadly poison.

As he regarded the smooth lines of her face, serene in slumber like they never quite became under the strain of reality, he noted that a few strands of loose, inky-black hair had fallen over her eyes. Cautiously, and trying not to wake her, he brushed back the feathery tendrils, tucking them behind her ear before withdrawing his hand suddenly. He shouldn't be doing this; he clearly wasn't thinking straight.

Shaking his head, he tried to ignore the memory of the soft texture beneath the pads of his fingers and the light scent that had teased his nose at the proximity. He'd noticed that before, of course, her smell, but then the only times he'd been close enough to do so were during their rather hostile spats or the two occasions they'd fought. Kenshin couldn't help but think that this was a shame, that it might have been nice to explore that particular sensation, light and pleasant, in some other circumstance-

He stood a little too abruptly and barely managed to maintain his dignity as he once again found his post. He couldn't recall the lest time he'd thought such a thing- probably never. He'd spent a while mooning after Tomoe when both were teenagers, but that had been different. She was the only person who could speak to him as he was without fear of punishment for lack of respect; well, the only eligible woman who could, anyway. Combine that with an excess of whatever it was that made young males so moody, and it had been something that while real in a sense, was remembered later with no small amount of disdain. He'd much preferred the friendship of his betrothed, and nearly destroying it had been a mistake.

But where did that leave him now? He hadn't believed himself in possession of anything but tolerance and a sort of half-grudging respect for the young woman; an acknowledgement of the good she'd done his group, and the beginnings of his own particular brand of friendship, perhaps, but that was it. At least until he'd seen her injured and dying. Something inside him had just… snapped at that. He'd seen red, and his hands had clenched so hard he'd drawn blood from his own palms with his fingernails. Only the contact of Hiko's hand on his shoulder had brought him back to reality; he doubted the others knew just how close he'd come to the burning need to kill that he'd only ever experienced at that same tumultuous time in his life when everything he knew was being ripped from him. Luckily, he'd already been enlisted, and when his mother had died shortly after, he'd had the battlefield to vent his rage upon.

Shishio had no idea what he'd unleashed, and he was going to die for it. The anger that had begun to fade into hopeless, heartless resignation was at full flare once more, and the Usurper-king had signed his own death warrant, half-brothers or not. Even just thinking about it now was enough to bring his blood to a boil, and it was only when Kaoru made a small noise that he realized he was likely unloading far too much ki at present, and it she was sensing it in her sleep.

Sighing to himself, he used the picture of her sleeping peacefully to bring himself back down, which worked surprisingly well, all things considered. Kenshin's eyes drifted to Sano and Megumi again, and he wondered how the man could do something like that, come to care for someone so deeply in the midst of a conflict that might kill her. He had been serious when he told Kaoru the reason he avoided conflict was to prevent more people from dying like Tomoe; to lose a friend was not an easy thing, and he could not imagine what it might be like to have someone even more precious ripped away from oneself. Perhaps…no, he certainly was not strong enough to bear that.

Which was why he'd avoided forming that sort of bond with anyone… hadn't he? Something about the present moment was telling him otherwise. Kenshin shook his head slowly as if to clear it, but all he succeeded in doing was wondering how and when it had happened. When had he come to care for this woman?

* * *

Megumi woke first the next morning, surprisingly well-rested considering all that had happened. The nightmares that seemed to visit her every time she had closed her eyes had been conspicuously absent. Perhaps it was simply the exhaustion that came of trying to keep a friend from the brink of death.

She resolved into consciousness slowly in spite of the urgency she felt to check on her patient. She felt… _warm. _Ensconced. Safe. Those things in themselves were unusual; she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so completely at ease. It probably lay somewhere back in her distant childhood, before she'd made spying and deception her profession. Only when she opened her eyes and caught sight of the arm about her waist did she choke back a startled shout and scramble to her feet. The offending limb did not attempt to entrap her, its owner too far asleep for that, she supposed, but that did not stop Megumi from turning beet-red once she realized who it belonged to.

This was ridiculous. She'd been with less men than some in her trade, but she was far from unaccustomed to nighttime company, and Sanosuke had done nothing more offensive than get too close for propriety, but it had her flustered all the same. All those feelings… she'd thought it was just a nice change of circumstance but… it scared her, how stupidly happy she was that he'd done that.

Seeking to push it from her mind, she cast her eyes about the rest of camp, as though to be sure nobody had seen them. Aoshi's bedroll was empty, and for a moment she was mortified, but she knew he at least would likely keep the information to himself. Everyone else was still sleeping soundly, though Kenshin was propped up against a nearby tree rather than in his own blankets, which she was willing to bet had been unoccupied for the duration of the night. Okay, so that was two, but at least they weren't Misao or Kaoru.

Megumi sighed. Of course it wouldn't be Kaoru; she was currently still fighting for her life while her attending physician tried to sort through her feelings like some kind of hormonal teenager! There was little enough time for that in an ordinary day; right now, she needed to tend to someone important.

Kneeling by Kaoru, Megumi did not miss Kenshin cracking an eyelid, seen as it was at the periphery of her vision, and she wondered how she could have ever assumed he would sleep. The man had likely been up all night. She probably would have been, too, if not for- _oh, for goodness's sake! _Setting her mouth into a determined line, the woman began checking her younger counterpart's vitals. She had been somewhat surprised upon a more discreet examination to discover that Kaoru really did have a woman's body underneath all those masculine clothes she wore, but that had been but incidental to the positive confirmation that she was as healthy and strong as she acted; it meant she had a real chance. The thing about poison was, as soon as the antidote was administered, it was something of a waiting game. Kaoru would probably recover in the next day or so if she ended up recovering at all.

Still, the prognosis was better than she'd initially estimated. Aoshi's information and her knowledge of poison had done what they could do; it was up to Kaoru to win the fight for herself, now. For the first time in her life, Megumi did not regret the years she'd spent as Kanryuu's dog- it was the skills she had gained there that were helping Kaoru here. Maybe, just maybe, that was enough to make it all worth it.

* * *

Kaoru's dreams were fitful, filled with ghostly images of people who couldn't be alive and places she did not recognize. Most of them, she would not remember, but there was one she couldn't forget. In the feverish space between sleeping and waking, when she lingered on the cusp of consciousness but could not quite make it there, she found herself in a forest, much like Aokigahara, only darker.

It must have been autumn, for though the leaves created a full canopy over her head, she could not escape the feeling of chill that pervaded the air. Her surroundings were completely silent save for the sound of her own breathing, which echoed strangely in the space, sounding much, much louder than it should have. A tendril of cold leeched through her clothing and sent a shiver down her spine. There was only enough light to see the outlines of the trees closest to her, and no farther than that, giving her the distinct impression that she was enclosed somehow, though there was no way that could possibly be true.

A small noise behind her caused Kaoru to turn around, but she could make out nothing in the inky darkness. Narrowing her eyes, the girl reached for her knives, only to find that they weren't there. She was dressed as the Watchman, and she felt the mask against the lower half of her face even, but she was unarmed? _Well fine then. I can fight with my hands. _Probably it had just been some kind of animal anyway; there were plenty of those in the forest.

The rustling reached her ears again, only this time from a different direction. Suppressing the urge to let out a frustrated growl, Kaoru whipped around again, but there was still nothing. Clenching her jaw, she decided that enough was enough. "I know you're there," she said aloud, and the rustling stopped. "You might as well show yourself."

A cold laugh echoed, seemingly from all directions at once. "You do, do you?" a voice taunted bitterly. "You know what I think? I think you know _nothing. _But you already understand that, don't you, little girl?"

Kaoru's hands balled into fists at her sides. She had no idea what this person was talking about, but whoever it was really knew how to get under her skin. There was nothing she hated quite as much as being treated like a helpless, incompetent idiot, and the voice was doing a great job of implying that she was all three. "If you're so wise, stop hiding and repeat that to my face," she spat venomously, drawing another wicked laugh from the darkness.

"Ah, she breathes fire. I am hardly surprised." A figure detached itself from the shadow of a tree, and she gasped when she recognized Kenshin. He looked the same as the last time she had seen him, and she wondered for a moment why she would even remember something like that. He studied her through narrowed eyes, arms crossed over his chest, and an infuriatingly superior smirk on his face. There was something… off about that expression. Sure, Kenshin could be a self-righteous jerk sometimes, but…

"Exactly what I mean," he replied to her thoughts, and she took a small step backward. "You know nothing. Shall I ease your ignorance, perhaps?" When Kaoru was silent, hardly daring to even think too much except to replay his words, he chuckled darkly. "Where to start? Ah yes, perhaps I should begin with you. What exactly is it that you think you're doing, I wonder? Trying to save people? Help them? People are fools, girl, and the only greater fool is the one who gives a damn about any of them. Your desire to help the unworthy is burdensome. Ah, I see you most certainly never knew that. Yes, you are indeed a burden, on everyone. First on your poor mother, who died for it, and your father after that. Now, you burden the rest of your friends as well. You really are quite selfish, aren't you?"

"That's not true." The words were out of her mouth before she had time to consider them. "And you don't think that either. You're not Kenshin." _You can't be him._

The man who looked like him was upon her faster than she anticipated, and the hand encircling her throat was strong, pressing against her windpipe even as it lifted her off the ground. Both of Kaoru's own hands immediately went to his wrist, scrabbling furiously in an attempt to dislodge him, but to no avail. Running out of air, she abandoned that effort and swung her lower body forward, lashing out with her feet, catching the side of his hip in a glancing blow. _Just a few inches to the right… _it was a dirty trick, what she was attempting, but she felt absolutely no remorse about it. This person was certainly _not _the Kenshin she knew, and the fact that he was wearing such a familiar face just served to make her even more angry.

Her second attempt went high, but it caught her assailant in the stomach with enough force to make him release her, and she dropped into a crouch. Not leaving herself time to recover and thus giving him the same, she sprang forward, lashing out at his kneecaps first, and then delivering a solid fist to his chest. "Hn. You're not as strong as Kenshin, either," she informed the imposter in a scathing tone. "And you've got his character all wrong. He may be harsh, but he isn't like that at all. He's got an honorable spirit, and he's never let his past crush him. That's why I- it's why you're the one who knows nothing." Kaoru switched tacks in the middle of her sentence, and something told her the apparition knew it. Either way, doubled over as it was, it smirked again, though not quite so hatefully this time, even as it faded from view, and darkness consumed her once more. _I'm not a burden… am I?_

* * *

The young woman groaned when she finally regained consciousness; the light upon her eyes was far too bright. It was soon blocked, however, by a familiar wide-eyed face. "Nn… Yahiko?" The boy's eyes lit up, and a huge grin split his face.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, ugly." Her eyes narrowed at the familiar but hated nickname, though Kaoru wasn't presently feeling quite strong enough to clock him.

"What… happened? I thought I was with Aoshi and then…" she struggled to remember what had happened next, but a crisp tone saved her the trouble.

"You were, but an assassin with a poison dart got you," Megumi informed her clinically, though the look in her steady gaze was softer than that. "You're lucky I know a lot about toxins." Kaoru stared at the woman in shock, but sure enough, the memories came flooding back eventually, and she remembered the flash of steel from the corner of her eye, and pushing Aoshi out of the way.

"Oh," she stated rather dumbly. Then the rest of it came back to her, and a barrage of questions followed. "Wait. Did Sano and the king make it back here? Are we still in the forest? How long have I been out? Is Shishio gone yet?"

Misao, who'd rushed over after discerning that she was indeed waking up (followed by a more sedate Aoshi), giggled, and Megumi rolled her eyes. It was Sano who chose to dignify her with a response. "Yes, yes, a few days, and unfortunately not yet, though if Kenshin has anything to say about it, he'll be twelve kinds of 'gone' pretty soon," the tall man supplied, jerking a thumb to where Kaoru could just make out Kenshin's back disappearing into the forest. She remembered her strange dream, and wondered what it all meant.

"He hasn't slept since you arrived back here," Misao informed her in a conspiratorial whisper, and Kaoru sat back in surprise. _Really? Why would…? _"He's starting a revolution, you know. We're gonna usurp the Usurper." If the first half of the girl's news had surprised Kaoru, she was now officially struck dumb, and her mouth moved uselessly with a million more questions that she could not voice. She was forced to endure Megumi's examination in complete silence, then, and the doctor sent the others away, explaining that the patient needed air and should be left alone for a bit. Her friends departed with much reluctant grumbling, which really only served to make Kaoru smile.

After a checkup and another half-hour of asking and enduring questions, Kaoru finally managed to extricate herself from the group. Aoshi, seeming to sense what she wanted, dragged Misao off with an offer of training, and the others took the hint well enough, which left her with some blessed moments of quiet. The first thing she decided was that she needed to find Kenshin. To thank him, and… she wasn't really sure what else. She'd figure that out when she got there. The only thing she knew was that she needed to see him for some reason, and she wanted to know why he would do such a thing as watch over her for three days straight. She hoped he did not truly think her a burden, and she was reminded uncomfortably of her dream.

Her footsteps made almost no noise on the forest floor, carpeted as it was still with last year's pine needles. Even without conscious effort, Kaoru moved quietly, it seemed. She found Kenshin in the middle of a clearing, standing with his back to her. He was with Hiko and the king, so she thought she might just let him be, but then the first fragment of conversation made it to her ears.

* * *

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Hiko asked, staring Kenshin down. It was the first time this conversation had ever advanced so far, but that did not mean the result was guaranteed, and they both knew it.

Kenshin stared back with a defiance that had been long absent in him and inclined his head. "Yes. I know the risk; but it is something I have to do."

His master snorted and shook his impressive mane of hair. "Still on about 'have to.' Forget about 'must,' idiot, and consider what you really _want. _Need isn't strong enough; you can need something and still not want it. You have to be all in on this, or it won't work. Think about it carefully." The prince-turned-friar watched his nephew and apprentice consider it, and this time, there was something in his look besides that insubordinate stubbornness.

"I've never wanted anything more," he replied simply, and it was Hiko's turn to nod. He had a feeling the reasoning for this decision was indeed that important, and it was certainly good enough for him.

"Fine. Be here tomorrow at the usual time. And come prepared to fight for your life." With that, the man of the cloth turned and disappeared into the woods. Katsura, who had held his piece for much of the discussion, clasped Kenshin's shoulder in a hand, and regarded him warmly.

"You have grown in a measure not even I would have expected," he said simply, "but I think you have better company than mine to keep for the moment." He gestured behind Kenshin, and continued walking, presumably back to camp.

His nephew turned, and watched as Kaoru emerged from about the same spot Katsura had entered. He had seen her rise, and with that, had ended his vigil to act at last upon his plan. Overthrowing a king, no matter how unpopular, would be a difficult undertaking, and Kenshin fully understood that he would need his uncle's final technique to do it, which was why he'd put in the request. Hiko had always refused it before, but something this time had clearly convinced him where he'd been unable to before. He didn't know what it was, but he was glad of it.

As she advanced, he studied her with a measured golden stare. She seemed to be moving about just fine, and it was hard to believe she'd been thrashing in fevered sleep the previous night. It had had Megumi worried about her chances, but something had told him she would be fine. Maybe he simply refused to believe that someone as strong as she could succumb to such a cowardly execution as poison. Something bothered him, though. She seemed… hesitant in her approach, and that was most unlike her.

Her eyes flicked over his shoulder, in the direction Hiko had departed, and he wondered how much of the conversation she had overheard. Might as well answer the obvious question before it was asked. "His succession technique. It carries a risk to the user, as well as the one it is used against."

"I… see…" she shook her head, but did not elaborate. He pondered for a moment what an odd reversal this was, that he was speaking more readily than her. Then again, perhaps the one consistency about Kaoru was that he never could predict her completely.

"I…" she paused, and he waited with more patience than he truly possessed for her to speak. She had just recovered from a near-death experience, after all. All the same, some combination of her unusual behavior and his own recent thoughts regarding her was setting him on edge, and he was very conscious of every movement, word, and silent interlude that passed between them. He was also uncomfortably aware of her smell again; it was teasing his nose in the most infuriating way possible.

"Thank you." Of all the things he was expecting, that had not been one of them.

"For what?" His reply was blunt as ever, but she only smiled, not quite meeting his eyes. It stuck him that that smile might possibly be the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, and he slapped himself internally. It was not as though Kaoru being attractive was _news _to him; all it took to figure that much out was a pair of eyes, and he did not lack that basic criterion. He just hadn't bothered to care before.

"The others told me you kept watch while I was unconscious." It took him a second to figure out that this was an explanation and not a change of topic. He was about to shake his head and say something in excuse for it (he wasn't sure he really wanted her to know that, since it was most unlike him) but she stopped him with a look, and to his own surprise, he complied. "I am grateful but… I do not wish to be a burden, and I have to know. Is that how you see me, Kenshin? As a burden?"

Where was this coming from? Her sudden bout of insecurity or whatever this was hit him like a smack in the face, and he knew well what such felt like, from her if nobody else. She was biting down on her lip, and Nameless help him, the only thing he could think of was how much he wanted to- _answer the question, you idiot!_

"No," he replied, and though the answer could perhaps have been more articulate, at least she looked relieved now, and more like she usually did.

"Oh. Well, that's good then." She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I had a strange- never mind. Anyway, the others told me you were going to start a real revolution. If you don't mind, I have something I'd like to ask you about that…" the topic transitioned, and Kenshin was able to bring himself to focus on what she was saying instead of Kaoru herself, which was a rather immense relief considering what he'd almost done just then. He wondered if she'd hate him should he try. Probably.

_

* * *

A/N: Hey guys! I just wanted to drop a line to thank you all for the serious increase in reviews last chapter. Reading them all made me positively giddy! The response to my inquiry about an A/K story has been mostly positive, so I think I shall indeed write one. I have a couple different plot bunnies, and by the time you read this, there should be a poll up in my profile for which one you'd all like me to write. I respect those of you who have told me quite honestly that you would not read one, and I'm certainly not offended if that is the case. _

_Anyway… I'm not really sure how much longer this story is going to be; I have a general idea for the plot till the end, but how much space it takes is always a bit wonky with me. Also, I __**still**__ don't think I can write romantic tension at all, but I'm trying! Anyway, reviews would be awesome, just so you know, but if you don't feel like writing that much, you could always vote in my poll instead or also. =) _


	17. Interlude III

Interlude III

_

* * *

Meiji has never been a large enough country to have a particularly massive standing army. The population of the country is low compared to most of our neighbors, and this has always been so. What keeps the nation independent of all those who would try to accost it, then, is the nature of that army._

_Every Meiji soldier is given weapons of the finest steel, mined from our very own reserves and peerless the world over. So, too, is every man trained to be worthy of his weapon. With mandatory military service of at least two years for every male at or over the age of seventeen, it is also a well-known fact that even the peasantry know how to defend themselves. A soldier is given training of the highest caliber, and even the rank-and-file infantry are skilled enough to best the officers of our enemies. In this way, our might is such that none have managed to claim our soil as their own._

_When each man leaves the service, he takes his weapon with him, and so our populace is armed well. Sometimes, sons carry the blades of their fathers or grandfathers into war, and it is not uncommon for these blades to become the conduits for tales of their own. An interesting way to store the lore of our land, do you not think?_

* * *

Sano trudged his way back into camp, bone-weary and in serious need of a drink, not that he had the time for such things at them moment. The last month had been hectic beyond imagining, and the hard part was only beginning. He noted that Kaoru and Misao were presently sitting around the campfire with Katsura, and the blue-eyed woman shot him a sympathetic look. Judging from the purplish bruising beneath her eyes, she was just as worn out as he was. Even Misao seemed less energetic than usual.

"How'd it go?" Kaoru asked, weariness and curiosity fighting for dominance in her tone. Sano trudged over to where they were sitting and nodded his thanks to Katsura, who had passed him a bowl of something. Not alcohol, unfortunately, but food was probably a better idea anyway. Landing heavily on a log beside Misao, Sano took a few bites before responding.

"About the same as ever. Dad's old allies are none too fond of Shishio, but they won't be the first to move. Someone's gonna need to start this thing, and it isn't gonna be the noblemen." He noted Kaoru's frown, and arched a brow, inviting her to explain.

"The commoners are scared," she replied, looking away from him and into the fire. "I don't blame them, but if the nobles aren't willing to do this, I'm not sure I can convince the people that it's a good idea either." Sano remembered that she had been visiting towns and villages, making public appearances as the Night Watchman and attempting to stir the ire of the people she found. Her success had been greater than his, at least in the measure that people seemed genuinely willing to risk it, but she was probably right about their fear being a problem.

"We need to go higher up," contributed Aoshi, emerging from the trees. "If even one of the biggest names is willing to take a public stand against him, the rest will follow."

Sano's response was to scratch his head. "Sure, Aoshi, that would probably work, but Shishio's got all the high-and-mighty types bowing and scraping at his feet in the capital. Word has it they aren't exactly allowed to leave, you know? I'm all for things that seem kinda stupid and reckless, but marching in there and having meetings with them right under the Usurper's nose is pushing it, even for me."

"That was quite self-aware of you, Sanosuke," Megumi contributed dryly, finishing up the tidying of her medical supplies that had engaged her for the better part of the afternoon and joining the rest. "But as it happens, there _are _more subtle ways to go about what Aoshi is describing, and I'm sure those were more of what he had in mind."

Sano was opening his moth to retort when Kaoru beat him to the punch. "Like what?" she inquired, and from the curiosity in her tone, Sano had a feeling that whatever it was, they'd be doing it soon. Hopefully, it wasn't _too_ risky, but then who was he kidding? These were his friends he was talking about.

A week and some forays into strange tailor shops later, Kaoru was beginning to feel nervous. Sure, going into the homes of Meiji's nobility disguised as various classes of servant in order to get information sounded like a great idea in theory, but in practice? Chances were pretty good they'd all be found out within three seconds of trying.

Sano didn't seem too happy about it either, but Kaoru figured this was more to do with the combination of the fact that he was now taking over Night Watchman duty for a while and didn't know how to shoot and also Megumi's particular brand of disguise.

The plan had originally been for the three of them (Megumi, Kaoru, and Misao) to go undercover as courtesans, but about half an hour into the corresponding lessons and Kaoru was fuming mad enough to kill the next noble male she saw and Misao was simply hopeless at the comportment required. Megumi had sighed, but eventually downgraded Misao to kitchen servant (the better to ferry information from the other two to Aoshi) and Kaoru would go in as a minstrel, which apparently involved both music and being able to do tricks of some kind, which they had eventually determined would have to be weapon-related. As it turned out, she didn't really have too many other skills aside from a passable familiarity with flutes.

An old contact of Aoshi's apparently ran a tailoring business now, and had agreed to make sure they were properly outfitted for the endeavor. Frankly, Kaoru wasn't sure that was such a good idea. She thought she looked more than a little ridiculous in her outfit, and Megumi's was on the immodest side, which both of them agreed was just unfortunate. At least there was no way she'd be doing the job she was supposed to hold; Kaoru had been worried about that for a while. It seemed, though, that the lady doctor had sworn off that kind of thing for good, and Kaoru trusted her to talk her way out of any situation where that might become necessary.

"Okay, and just remember, but this point, you don't actually have to shoot the bow; just show up and post the notices using an arrow, and that should work just fine." Kaoru wasn't _that _worried about Sano being able to handle it, but the arrows and the cloak were her legacy, and she tended to get a bit exacting about it. Sanosuke, Nameless bless his soul, had been remarkably patient with her regarding this, and merely nodded when she repeated the directions for the umpteenth time.

At last, she looked back to the other two, who appeared to be ready to go, at least until she noticed the look passing between Megumi and Sano. "Right then!" she said a bit too cheerfully. "Misao, why don't we start heading to the city? I'm going to need help putting my… costume on, so we should probably get moving, don't you think?" She was painfully aware that she was rambling, and it appeared for a moment that the other girl would not catch on, but she pulled through in the end, eyes widening and face assuming a too-wide grin.

"Oh, uh… sure! Sounds fine to me! Catch up with us whenever, Megumi!" If Kaoru rambled, Misao's volume was twice what it should be, though maybe that was normal in and of itself. At any rate, the two managed to escort themselves off the premises with some semblance of dignity remaining, in enough time for Kaoru to make the sign for quiet to Misao and pull the other girl behind a tree.

They were too far away to hear anything, but Misao had to suppress a delighted squeal when Sano grinned and leaned in close to Megumi, apparently whispering something in her ear. Whatever it was made the lady doctor turn pink, and Kaoru had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. Megumi was always so even-keeled and graceful; it was funny to see her flustered. Both choked back gasps when Sano had the gall to plant a kiss on her cheek, though it was suspiciously close to her mouth. Megumi glared at him, but Kaoru didn't believe it for a second, mostly because she was now redder than a garden tomato and smiling. She moved though, and the two dashed off, afraid she might catch them at spying.

"You know, Sanosuke, if you really want to keep a woman around, it goes a little more like this…"

If the two had still been there when Megumi exacted her sweet revenge, it might have been they who turned red, but as it was, it was the fox who carried the final secret in her smile when she caught up with them a few minutes later, her companions quite unaware of what they had missed.

* * *

Misao picked at her skirts with disdain. Honestly, why did townswomen wear this kind of stuff, anyway? It was thoroughly impossible to move efficiently in it! Well, it could be worse, she supposed; Megumi was practically imprisoned, what with the petticoats and brocade that constituted a fair chunk of her deep blue plunging-neck gown.

That said, it was almost enough to make Misao sigh in envy. She looked so _natural _in it, too, as though moving around in that getup was the easiest thing in the world. Her hair had been twisted in a peculiar fashion, and most of it was piled atop her head, only some left to fall in lustrous sheets to her waist. _She really knows how to dress herself. _That wasn't the problem though. Despite not being the sharpest sword in the armory, Misao could figure some things out, and it had not taken her long to realize that Lord Aoshi must have been around beautiful women like Megumi all his life. Was it really a wonder that he wouldn't look twice at someone like boyish, mousy Misao? Her heart sank.

"I think I know what you're thinking," came a voice from behind her, and Misao whipped around, only to see Kaoru smiling at her knowingly. That was something she really loved about her friend, though sometimes it irked her too. Right now, she just didn't want to deal with it, so she plastered a grin on her face.

"Then you know how amazing you look!" she chirped happily in reply, and Kaoru's reproachful expression was evident, if swiftly replaced with a smile of her own as she made the decision to let Misao have it her way.

"Ehe… thanks…" Kaoru teased the gauzy fabric that constituted the outer layer of her costuming with a thumb and forefinger. The ensemble looked like something from the Southlands, really; the red satin was shaped to hug her torso, and the black pants were lavishly embroidered in silver. Red slippers covered her feet, though Misao could tell at a glance that Kaoru missed her sturdy boots. Flowy gossamer fabric overlay the top, and the 'sleeves' it created were slitted and reaffixed only at the elbows and wrists. The entire effect was rather exotic, and in Misao's opinion, it didn't look quite so out-of-place on Kaoru as it might have on another. "At least I got to keep my ponytail, right?"

Misao laughed and thumped her friend on the back. "Sure, sure! Anyway, you'd better grab that flute of yours and get to minstel-ing! I'll be off in the kitchens, scrubbing pots and trying not to throw any of those knives at people." Kaoru looked briefly horrified, but her expression settled into one of amusement, and she nodded. The two of them turned to Megumi, and she gave them both a once-over before nodding.

"All right. I will see what I can find out in regards to the western dukes. Misao, you'll be in the palace kitchens, since we won't be far at any point with the leash Shishio keeps on his men. And Kaoru-"

"I know. Straight into the lion's den, right?" The blue-eyed woman grimaced, and Megumi gave another solemn inclination of her head.

"Indeed."

* * *

Yahiko finished tying off the bandage with a glare at Kenshin. "You're gonna kill yourself at this rate," he said, only to clamp his mouth shut at the look he received in return. Honestly, when had the boy gotten so impetuous? He'd always been that way to a degree, but not this much.

_It's not as though you really don't know the answer, _he told himself internally, and something in his expression must have changed, because the young man presently patching him up relaxed noticeably. Kenshin let it go; Yahiko was just concerned, after all, and the man couldn't expect him to understand the necessity of the training he was undergoing. The fact of the matter was, if he didn't find a way to endure all this pain, he wasn't ever going to be able to move past it and learn the final technique of his style. And if that didn't happen… then all of the work his comrades were putting in would be for naught.

Yahiko moved away, probably to go see about finding something to eat, and Kenshin frowned. The thought of just what some of his group were up to right now did not sit well with him. They were effectively taking it upon themselves to stake their lives on their ability to survive in his world, one that only Megumi knew how to navigate from past experience. He himself had never been too good at politics or the like; it was one of many reasons why Aoshi had been so helpful.

But they'd have to manage it on their own. Independent of his knowledge, Kenshin's eyes narrowed, and Yahiko glanced at him nervously from across the fire. He was emitting ki again. Nothing as terrifying as before, of course, but enough to inform the boy of his irritation, though it was really more like anxiety, if her were being truthful.

And while he was in a truthful sort of mind, he would also probably admit that it was not really that _they _were undercover that bothered him; it was the fact that _she _was. He knew firsthand just how spirited and defiant Kaoru could be, and while it was a trait he had come to admire and look to her to exhibit, not everyone would be so appreciative. He could only hope that she remembered to keep her head down and herself out of trouble. The others, he trusted to manage it. But Kaoru…

"Hey, idiot. This isn't a break, you know. If you're not gonna die within the next few minutes, get over here so I can knock some more sense into you." To his credit, Kenshin did not flinch, though it was an instinctive reaction only narrowly avoided. Gripping his blade, the redheaded man stood and nodded firmly, following his teacher and uncle back into the woods.

_

* * *

A/N: Hey guys; sorry the chapter's so short, but that's what happens when life gets insane sometimes. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it despite its length; as I'm sure you can guess, the tale is in its home stretch now (though it will probably be a bit long for a 'home stretch' so never fear!) Comments appreciated as always._


	18. Chapter 14: Spies and Secrets

Chapter 14: Spies and Secrets

_

* * *

The old magics have been lost to history. All that remains of the knowledge the ancients had on the manipulation of the world around us, the wondrous transformation of one thing into another, or the ability to heal disease with naught but an exercise of will… these things are long past us._

_There is, however, one bit of that old learning that survives today. Strangely, it is kept by neither philosopher nor warrior, but one who is both. Certain schools of thought have become ingrained in certain other set of marital techniques, and in these rare styles can we still find some trace of magic. _

_These practitioners themselves call it ki, or chi, and claim that everyone has it, albeit in varying degrees and types. Only they, though, remember how to train both body and mind in such a way as to make the conscious use of ki possible. Such people, with years of dedication and work, are able to gain a subconscious understanding of what someone else is going to do, of where other people are, and it had been said that such people can even apply ki to other, more novel uses. There have been tales, for instance, of those strong enough to recover from mortal wounds because of the amount of ki they have. Still others have purportedly used ki to increase their movement speed or make an arrow fly true even in adverse wind. _

_Small magics, yes, but in the right hands, no less devastating. _

* * *

The band of entertainers with whom Kaoru had integrated herself were all friends of Aoshi's, she had gathered. The old man who led them all was named Okina, and the woman who generally helped her blend in was named Sae. She was relieved for their assistance, and presently convinced that without them, there was simply no way she would have gotten this close to the Usurper-king himself.

Presently, the man in question was seated on the throne that was not his, his favored courtesan (Yumi, Sae had told her) on his right arm, looking lazily down at the revelry that he had commanded his underlings to attend. Most of them were doing so with an amount of zest that truly bordered on disgusting when it did not cross entirely into that realm. Drunken nobles paraded around on the dance floor, wearing costumes that made the worst outfits Kaoru had ever seen look modest by comparison.

That sort of thing might have been tolerable, on its own, but the fact that _she _was being leered at near-constantly was really starting to grate on her nerves, and maintaining the cheerful troupe-performer's smile was beginning to take constant effort. She flit about the stage, playing merry tunes and well-known ballads alike on her carved wooden flute, though, which meant she only had to smile when unoccupied.

At the same time, she watched the guests, trying to pick out anyone who looked uncomfortable to be there, or at the very least wasn't outwardly participating in the debauchery. Those people would likely be the best place to start.

It wasn't looking good. There were a few older folk who looked positively disgusted on those few occasions when they did not believe they were seen, but Sae had already informed her that her group- the Oniwaban- had attempted much what Kaoru was trying to do with those people to only limited success. Like anyone else, they seemed willing enough to move if someone else began the assault, but were unwilling to risk being the driving force of the revolution.

There was one other person, though, who stood aloof from most of what was happening. The man sat upon a slightly-raised dias, lower than Shishio's but high enough that he was clearly someone of rank, and yet he did not seem particularly disposed towards even acknowledging the presence of the other man, or any of the partygoers, for that matter. He was of a most distinctive appearance: as tall as Sano, with snow-white hair despite looking no older than Kenshin. This man, too, made eye contact with her more than once, and she could not help but feel as though her measure were being taken somehow. Though his eyes were blue, she was still reminded of Kenshin's in that much. There was something… cold, there, but she hardly thought she could waste what might well be an opportunity on that alone. Aoshi didn't come across as warm and friendly, either, but she did not doubt that he would sooner die than see the revolution fail.

Kaoru went back to her playing at the prompting of the crowd, but though her gaze continued to move over the room, she felt the weight of his on her unceasingly. Yes, there was a chance, and it was one she might just have to take.

_

* * *

I swear, if I have to wash one more plate, I'm going to… argh! _Misao's inner monologue, cranky as it was, was certainly not picked up on by the partygoers in the ballroom, for it was not long before she was faced down by yet another giant stack of ceramic dishware. Scowling, she let out a defeated sigh and wearily grabbed the first one off the neverending pile.

"How are you doing there, Misao?" Tae's voice sounded from behind her, causing her to reflexively stand up straighter and try to look less irritated, lest it come through too obviously in her voice. Tae was doing her a favor, letting her pose as a new employee down here, especially because her life would be forfeit if it was ever discovered that Misao was in fact a spy.

At least, she thought it was Tae. The woman had a twin sister, Sae, who was one of the people helping Kaoru, and she had been informed that the two would periodically switch places to better give her the information she needed to pass to Aoshi. Once a day, Misao would be sent on an errand to fetch something the kitchen needed, and someone from the group would happen to meet her wherever she was going. Aoshi himself was coordinating the effort, and it would be either himself or Yahiko that she met with generally.

"I'm okay," was her unenthusiastic reply, and Tae laughed in response.

"It's much harder than it sounds, isn't it? Ah, well, you'll get used to it eventually." The woman shot her a reassuring smile, but was called to another part of the kitchen, leaving Misao once again alone with her nemeses the dishes. Leveling a glare at them, the girl could not help but hope that she wouldn't be doing this anywhere near long enough to get used to it.

* * *

Megumi giggled delicately at the horrible joke, fluttering her fan in front of her face in the manner of the coquettish woman she was portraying. She had never been fond of this part of her job. Listening to nobility brag about things they had not even done or tell jokes about people they could hardly be said to know was always something she had found quite distasteful indeed, and it seemed that such had only become more acute with time.

Once, she would have been able to accept this as the natural course of her profession, and more to the point would perhaps have rejoiced in the fact that at least this fool was so aged that she could slip him a sleeping draught before he got any worse ideas than telling her of the exploits his ancestors had engaged in. An old man falling asleep in the early evening was not something anyone would be suspicious about.

Still, she had to be careful. What she was after was information on a possible alliance, but she could not push too hard or turn the subject in the right direction too often, lest suspicion be cast upon her motives. What need would a simple courtesan have for information on her employer's political leanings, anyway?

Of course, such women had all the need in the world, but they were never ones to show it. When your profession essentially involved bowing and scraping at the feet of whomever had enough power to give you some of it as well, it was as much a part of your employment to know as much about politics as possible as it was to provide whatever was asked of you.

Not that she had any intention of adhering to the latter, of course. Once, she would not have hesitated in this. Lord Takeda had preferred it when she did; one more thing to hold over the conquered opponent. _If I had wanted you dead, I could have had her kill you, and then you would have been dead by the hand of a whore… _it was painful to think about even still. No, there was simply no way she would allow herself to be caught once more in that world. Not when the alternative was within her grasp, not when he…

She snapped herself out of the trance in just enough time for the old man to request she make some tea. Time for a sleeping draught, then, and then a more leisurely perusal of his study, perhaps…

* * *

Three days later, and Kaoru still felt as though she had learned nothing useful. Oh, she had certainly come across more information than strictly necessary, but none of it was what she would call _useful, _not really.

She had learned that Shishio threw fetes nearly every night, each as alcohol-sodden and disgusting as the last one. The worst ones, apparently, were the ones where everyone involved wore masks. Maybe it was the privacy thing, that gave people license to do as they pleased or something. If nobody could see your face, who was to know who had done what? _Actually… I wonder. _

Kaoru's lips pursed, she crossed the dressing room to a small desk and pulled a piece of parchment from it. Dipping a quill pen into black ink, she scratched a note for Aoshi on it, then folded the thing and tucked it into a pocket. She'd have to give it to Sae later; there was no time before tonight's performance.

She wondered for a moment if _he _would be there. The man with the white hair had approached her after the party the first evening she'd been there and complimented her performance. The conversation had been rather pleasant; it was nice to talk of things besides battle strategy for once. He had offered to show her the gardens, and she had gladly accepted- the opportunity to get fresh air had been far too much to turn down. She had learned that his name was Lord Enishi Yukishiro, and though he had been in Shishio's court for a while now, he found the way that it was run to be… distasteful.

She'd had to hold her tongue from a very sharp comment at the understatement that was, but he must have guessed, because he'd laughed and made a similar quip himself. He was rather… charming, but Kaoru couldn't afford a drop in her caution. Every once in a while, she still got that same initial impression of danger from him that had made her wary in the first place, though it was always soon smoothed over with the polite face he usually wore.

The whole thing was rather vexing. Here was someone she thought would make Kenshin a superb ally, but she was unsure how to broach the topic further. She figured enough time would probably do it, but then she didn't have a whole lot of time at all.

And this very party was going to make it worse. Since it was to be a masquerade, she too would be wearing one, and at some point in the night, Sae had informed her, the nobles would stop caring quite so much about station and start treating anyone in a mask much the same way. Which meant she had to be careful, but also that if she played her cards right, she could get some really good information this way.

To that end, she had forgone her usual costuming for something a bit more… traditional. A full-skirted blue gown, to be precise. Kaoru had never had any cause to wear such a thing before, and it struck her already as annoying and more than a little silly, all things considered. She supposed noblewomen didn't really need to be able to run about and climb things, but still… was this bodice that kept her from breathing correctly a standard thing? The dark blue of it was offset by the cream ribbons that tied it, and someone had made a rather unnecessary use of pearls to decorate the skirt. It was all a bit too _feminine _for Kaoru to be completely comfortable in it. Then again, she was the girl that had been wearing men's clothes her entire life, so perhaps that was to be expected.

"Kaoru? Are you almost done?" Tsubame, the youngest member of the act, stepped gingerly inside the room. She would thankfully be spared from this evening, as she was from all the masquerades. Kaoru could not protest a decision like that. Smiling, she nodded. No point in making anyone else subject of her rather rambling internal compliant list.

_Well, it looks like it's time to start the show..._

* * *

Megumi read quickly over the summations Aoshi had given her of what the others had managed to discover, frowning slightly. _Kaoru is working with a nobleman to try and win his favor… why do I feel ill about this? _She knew of course that there were no grounds for such a feeling; she did not even have a name, since her most recent information did not yet have that fact included. She simply hoped Aoshi knew who it was and would at least warn Kaoru if the name was one she should stay away from.

The lady doctor threw her missive into the fire, letting the flames eat away the evidence of their treachery against a traitor. Presently, she was in the middle of another perusal of her employer's study room- each day could only afford her so much time for this before someone might notice her absence, so she was making slow progress. She had established long ago that this man was a supporter of Shishio, so she and Aoshi had agreed that her mission was better diverted to gathering as much information as possible about the strength of that faction.

The numbers did not look well in their favor, and she was presently preoccupied searching through letters, treaties, and contracts, looking for a weakness in the massive wall that would stand before their merry little band in the event of an attack. It was beginning to seem as though any kind of direct assault, even with the support of some nobility, would be a complete and utter defeat. _There has to be some way in, past all the armies… but there's no way Shishio would ever let Kenshin anywhere near him._

She was beginning to get a headache; all of this reading by scant firelight was probably giving her eyestrain. Sighing to herself, Megumi carefully replaced the documents in their drawer, slipping out the door with nobody any the wiser. It looked as though her report would once again contain nothing but bad news. She just hoped the others were having better luck.

* * *

Misao rubbed her back absently, trying to ignore the dull ache building there in favor of getting the heck out of here. She was due to meet Lord Aoshi in ten minutes, and there was a fair bit of walking to do in between now and then.

"Oh, hello, Miss Misao. Off to fetch flour again?" Misao resisted the urge to cringe at the now-familiar voice. It was that Soujiro kid again. He had this annoying habit of showing up down at the kitchens, which Tae insisted was just normal. To the cook, he seemed like a lonely kid who could use the company, and since he always volunteered to help whenever possible, his presence was welcome.

Well, by everyone except Misao, that was. She thought something was too weird about him, like the way he was always smiling for no reason. Who did that sort of thing, anyway? And then there was the fact that he always invited himself along whenever she went to get something for the kitchen. Couldn't he tell she would rather be left alone? She was doing serious spy business here, and he was preventing her from seeing Lord Aoshi! There was no way he'd show himself if she wasn't alone, but there was little she could do about it. She couldn't well refuse his presence, for fear of him being offended or someone getting suspicious. It looked like she'd have to endure this, then.

"Sure am, Soujiro," she replied cheerily. _Please don't come, please don't come… _she had more messages from Kaoru to deliver today, and one of them was really important. It had a name in it of someone the woman was investigating as a potential ally, and that was information Lord Aoshi absolutely needed to have.

"Would you mind if I go with you? It must be awfully difficult carrying all those supplies by yourself." Soujiro tilted his head to one side in that weird little squinty-eyed way he had, and Misao resisted the powerful urge to punch him. _He doesn't know what he's doing, Misao. Besides, if you punched him, you'd blow everyone's cover, and lord Aoshi would never forgive you. Not to mention Kenshin… _she didn't even what to think about what Kenshin would do.

"Oh, um, not at all. You don't have to, though; I'm stronger than I look." She gave a halfhearted laugh, but as usual, he did not join her. _I know my jokes are bad, but he could at least try smiling for real…_

_

* * *

Ugh. _Masquerades _were _worse than the rest of these parties, though at least she was out mingling in the crowd proper now, instead of up onstage where she couldn't properly speak to anyone. She'd already danced with a couple of drunken people, and it seemed that alcohol really did loosen one's lips, though none of them were who she was looking for. Everyone so far had simply spoken about things like their properties or who they wanted to marry their daughters off to or something annoyingly inane like that. Not one seemed dissatisfied with their lot, and honestly, she understood why.

These people had everything that the people in Nottingham could only dream of. Wealth, land, comfort, leisure; personally, she wasn't sure any if it had done them a bit of good, given what she knew of them, but she could not deny that it was an easy position to view the world from and see only what you wanted to.

"Mind if I cut in?" The tenor was smooth, but not slurred, and she recognized the tone of it immediately. The man she had been dancing with looked slightly bewildered, but when the tall fellow who had spoken did not move, he nodded blearily and relinquished his grip on her hands, one of which was fluidly pressed to the lips of the second man.

Kaoru was glad of the mask; it hid the reddening of her face, for the most part. _Why is he-?_

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite little musician. Joining the crowd this evening, are we?" Enishi smiled, and she couldn't help but think that it reminded her of some large predatory cat in nature. The only question was: was she a fellow feline, or just prey being duped?

"Ah… well, yes…" Kaoru began, trying to think of a reasonable excuse on her feet. She hadn't counted on him being able to recognize her; though the mask covered only the upper half of her countenance, she had thought her manner of dress different enough to disguise her in the sweep of skirts. "I know I probably shouldn't, but…"

"Nonsense," he waved away her concern as though it were nothing. "I think you fit the part much more exquisitely than anyone else can claim to." She struggled for a response to that; she was far from accustomed to flattery, to say the least. Enishi took advantage of her silence to lead her to the middle of the dance floor even as the music changed to a waltz, and before Kaoru quite knew what was happening, she was being swept across the beautiful wooden floors by a man she could not seem to predict.

"So, how does it feel?" he asked, nonchalance masking something else in his tone. "Being a part of my world?" The question was loaded, and she knew it. The only question was, how best to approach it? One wrong move, and she had a feeling she might well be in serious danger. But, if she did something right, this might be the perfect opportunity to gauge if the would be helpful to them.

"It feels… different. Not as I expected," she replied. Honest words, but perhaps not ones that he would interpret in the same way she meant.

"Ah. It rarely is, is it? I imagine you feel much less… clean than you did onstage. Not that I could blame you for that. It is hard, living in such a filthy world when all one desires is a breath of fresh air, no?"

Kaoru's eyes went wide. What could he possibly mean by that? Was it possible that Shishio's rule disgusted him, or was he just talking about his fellow lords generally? She had no idea what to do with the statements, and once again, his response had left her off-balance. She cast about for a suitable response, but could find none.

He chuckled. "Fear not. I do not expect you to answer. How could I, when even those who feel the same way as I are too afraid to speak the words aloud? I'm afraid you've caught me feeling a little… reckless this evening, my dear. I wonder why that is?"

Kaoru was about to answer when the music stopped, and she found that Enishi had deftly steered them to the edge of the floor. He leaned in close and Kaoru almost flinched away, but he held her fast, placing his lips very close to her ear. "I know what you are." Kaoru gasped, and instantly regretted it. She should have played it off as nothing; he could have been guessing, but he simply had her so flustered that she was barely thinking straight. "I think I might be able to help you. Meet me out in the gardens in one hour. We will speak there."

He strode out of the room, proud and imperious, leaving her staring after him, perhaps more confused than she had ever been in her life.

_

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, it's me again. Hope you liked the intrigue in this chapter; there was not much action because I'm trying to set up the next huge plot point and stuff. _

_Also… if I'm being totally honest with you guys, I don't really remember Enishi's character all that well, so I'm really only guessing at most of his characterization and stuff. So he's probably really, really OOC. I wasn't even going to use him for this story, but I needed someone in that role, and he kind of fit in terms of circumstances. Eh, whatever. Hopefully nobody hates it._

_Anyway, thanks for sticking with me this far; I know my updates have been pretty irregular and half the time I don't even have the time to proofread, so hopefully I'm not making anyone cringe with typos or anything. _

_Happy reading, and you're awesome if you're still here. ^_^_


	19. Chapter 15: Captives and Conspiracies

Chapter 15: Captives and Conspiracies

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* * *

Many noble houses have risen and fallen over the centuries-long history of our nation, but few have earned more attention in the telling than the House Yukishiro. The rise of the family was meteoric; they ascended in Meiji's early years. Back then, the royal line was split in two, and the families at each end in a bitter feud over the throne itself. Each had an equally legitimate heir that they wished to see rule, but neither had enough power to crust the opposition entirely._

_At this time, then, each line took to trying to find purchase with other noble houses, promising them favors and power in exchange for their support of the chosen candidate. It was a time of much political squabble and infighting, and in the end, so few of these loyalties could be trusted that nobody seemed to have a clear idea of where they stood anymore._

_Not so for one woman in particular. Mayumi Yukishiro, whose husband was then a minor lord with territory in an unfavorable area, was an uncommonly shrewd woman, with a flair and deftness for politicking thankfully seldom seen in history. Such people, when they appear, always somehow manage to change things, and she was no exception._

_It was the Lady Yukishiro who finally broke the stalemate, in a bold move accusing the uncle of one of the candidates for working towards his own nephew's ruin. She was correct, and when evidence to this fact was discovered, she was hailed by that side as a hero. Many others who might have chosen to double-cross the ancestors of today's royal family decided against it for fear of being humiliated in the same fashion, and in this way one side solidified while the there crumbled, the dispute ending with not a single drop of bloodshed._

_The day the kind was crowned, he granted Mayumi and her heirs a much better holding close to the capitol, and the title of duchess or duke to accompany it. From that day for a number of hundreds of years, the family was one of the most prominent at the king's own side, and always Mayumi's descendants were honored within the walls of the palace. _

_But even as the rise of the family was so sudden and great, so too was their fall. _

* * *

Misao sulked all the way to the well, where she was supposed to be picking up the order of flour for the kitchens. Her unfortunate expression, of course, was due to the fact that Soujiro was at her side, which meant that Lord Aoshi would not be. Just before she'd left, Tae (or was it Sae?) had slipped her yet another piece of paper into her pocket, this one from Kaoru directly, and freshly-inked no less. She hadn't read it, not considering present company safe enough for that, but she had a feeling that it was important.

"So, Miss Misao," Soujiro began amicably, "it's a nice night, isn't it?"

Misao groaned inwardly, but plastered a smile onto her face all the same. "Yeah, I've always thought late summer is the best time of year, at least at night." She had to make nice with the kid, even if she did kinda want to strangle him for preventing her from getting in contact with her friends. She supposed he wasn't really doing it on purpose since he had no way to know what she was really supposed to be doing out here.

"Hm… I rather like winter, myself, though I see your point," he replied, seeming for all the world to be giving her inane babble careful consideration. She didn't understand why; everyone knew that small talk was mostly white lies anyway, at least with strangers. You were just supposed to agree with everyone then add something simple and be done with it. Apparently, nobody had taught Soujiro that.

"Huh?" He'd said something else, but Misao had missed it, busy as she was thinking about more important things.

"I said I'm rather interested in the contents of those documents in your pocket." Misao froze, eyes going wide, and hurried to stammer out some kind of plausible explanation.

"W-what are you talking about?" _Oh great one, Misao, just deny it. They're right there, and he's obviously seen them if he's bringing it up… what's with this guy anyway? _Soujiro was still regarding her with the same empty smile as always, only now it was beginning to freak her out a bit. Something strange was going on, and she had a feeling she didn't really want to know what.

"You really don't know? Maybe I should ask a different question then. Tell me, how many others are there?" His voice had taken on a note of something she could not identify, but the words alone were enough to put Misao into a full-blown panic. It must have telegraphed horribly, because Soujiro shook his head slightly. "You really do make a poor spy, Miss Misao."

"S-spy?" At this point, she knew the denial was all but useless, but she needed to keep him talking to figure a way out of this. She could try running, but she wasn't so sure that would work; if Soujiro was the kind who could tell a spy from an honest kitchen-worker, he wasn't an ordinary person. Plus, he was armed. Why hadn't she noticed that sword until now, anyway?

"Of course. What else would you be? I know all the usual kitchen staff, and you aren't one of them. Even if you were new, you would have the calluses of someone who does such work. Your hands are more accustomed to a knife than a sponge, I should think, and you were in far too much pain to be used to doing dishes all day. Besides, why would someone so new be sent for supplies every day? Especially when you clearly knew none of the merchants personally…"

_He's good. _Misao was beginning to feel a bit stupid, and she still had no idea how she was going to weasel her way out of this one.

"Excuse me sir, miss, but is there some kind of problem here?" The smooth, soft voice broke into her panicked analysis of the situation, and she had to work not to cry out with her relief. She knew that voice.

From the look on his face, so did Soujiro, or at least he knew the face she could not presently see. "Ah, no problem, mister, I was just telling the miss here that it is rather dangerous to be out alone at this time of night." Soujiro smiled again, and Misao couldn't shake the feeling of satisfaction. _That's right. Nobody messes with Lord Aoshi._

As soon as the young man was out of earshot, Misao turned to Aoshi with a bright smile on her face, words of thanks on her tongue, but they died and the grin wilted as soon as she caught sight of his expression. He was staring after Soujiro, something on his features akin to… apprehension? At least as close as she'd ever seen. Why would he be worried?

"We have to go. There's a chance the others have been compromised as well, and now he knows exactly who is responsible for the infiltration. I think he was baiting me, but I'm afraid I had little choice in the matter." He fixed her with a stern look, and she withered further, nodding meekly and following him as fast as she could out of the city.

* * *

Kaoru was veritably humming with nervous tension as the hour mark approached. Truth be told, she wasn't exactly sure if she was taking the wisest course of action given the circumstances, but she could hardly refuse to meet the man who knew exactly who she was and what she was doing, or at least claimed to.

She could not deny, either, that she was rather curious about Enishi himself. There was something about him that was… dangerous, but in the sort of way that tended to disarm one at the same time. It was drawing her to him, but she was uncertain if this was the same draw she felt towards people like Kenshin, who just needed enough time and stubbornness, or the lure of sweet honey into a trap. The thought that she would be finding out which alone, unaided, and unarmed was one that brought a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with any kind of chill.

At least she'd managed to get her latest note passed off to Sae, who would probably have it to Misao by now, halfway to Aoshi and the others. There was some small comfort in that, she supposed, especially since she was sure that she'd figured out how they were going to get close enough to Shishio to fight him in the first place.

Her hands were getting clammy, and her eyes constantly darted to the pendulum in one corner of the room that kept the time. Five minutes; her stomach twisted uncomfortably, and she wondered how she was even going to handle this at all. If she was so nervous already, she doubted she'd much be able to speak when she actually reached the gardens. _Come one, Kaoru. Get it together. You can't fall apart now, not when they're relying on you to do this. _The thought of what Kenshin would say or think if she failed at something so important was a sobering one at best. When she had come to care so much about what he thought, she could not identify, but the point was that she didn't want to fail him, especially not at such a crucial juncture.

_So don't._ Thinking thusly, she steeled her nerves and departed the stuffy ballroom for the peace of the gardens outside. Lord Enishi was standing with his back to her,, apparently preoccupied with the scenery. Upon approaching him, she noted that he was preoccupied examining a rosebush, late in bloom if they were only just opening now, but quite beautiful all the same. "Milord?" she questioned, some hesitation suffusing her tone.

Enishi smiled; she could see the twist to his lips from the side. Something about it though…

"Do you know they breed the roses here to be without thorns?" he asked, seemingly offhandedly. Whatever she was expecting him to say, it had not been that.

"Do they?" she replied, bending slightly to examine the red flowers, which were indeed without thorns.

"Indeed… I suppose they fear the consequences to the dear fingers of the fools who would try to handle them." His tone was hard, and Kaoru could feel the weight of blue eyes on her back. She swallowed reflexively. "But me… I think roses are only beautiful when they have thorns. Such a waste, that all these do not."

"I take it, then, that the roses at your home are all thorned?" Kaoru was unsure where this was going, but had the distinct feeling that he was speaking in double meanings somehow.

Enishi laughed, but it was not a warm sound of amusement at all. "My home has no roses, Kaoru. Only brambles."

She realized a moment too late that she'd never told him her name.

* * *

"You knew she was working on Enishi Yukishiro, and you didn't think to tell her to stop?" Megumi was positively livid, her words little more than hissed at Aoshi, who stood by as impassively as ever, though there were dark circles appearing beneath his eyes. Kaoru had been missing for three days now, and Megumi had been pulled off her assignment the previous day.

"We had no reason to suspect that Lord Enishi would ally with Shishio, not given the fact that the latter was responsible for the death of his sister," the man responded calmly, probably for the seventh time. He'd had the same barrage of questions thrown at him by everyone save Kenshin and Katsura, and the second had only been informed just now, so he was counting on another interrogation. Personally, he would much rather be devising a method of rescue, but he understood the attachment the group felt to Kaoru. He was most unhappy himself at present, but he also felt responsible, which just made it worse.

"I don't think he has," Katsura broke in, a confused frown settling over his face. "The younger Yukishiro hates just about everything Shishio stands for; it's almost a given that he would detest the man himself. Yet…"

"Yet he has Kaoru, and her last note indicates she felt she might have been compromised by him specifically," Aoshi supplied, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning his head back against the tree that presently bore the weight of his back also.

"Why would someone like that take Kaoru in the first place? Why _wouldn't _he want to help get rid of Shishio?" Misao contributed, puzzlement written all over her face. Of course, she had pinpointed the missing piece rather well, and that was the same question Aoshi was asking himself. He had thought- no, he had _assumed- _the same thing, and therein was his mistake.

"It's because of me," everyone present jumped save Aoshi when Kenshin approached, Sano at his side. "Enishi blames me for not protecting Tomoe. I could have; perhaps I should have. They were coming for me, not her. I should have anticipated that he might end up thinking this way…" Though Kenshin spoke words that might have otherwise suggested it, there was no regret in his voice. He had moved beyond that part of his life, and now he was only angry that she was suffering for the fact that Enishi could not.

"What are we gonna do?" Yahiko asked roughly, clearly on the verge of tears but holding them back for the sake of trying to be stronger than that.

"_We _are going to do nothing," Kenshin replied coldly, silencing the incoming protest with a look. "You are going to finish what we have started; both Kaoru and Sano have had some success in stirring up the peasant rebellion, and you are going to organize them. Aoshi will direct you in this. The face you are to use, the banner they are to rise under, will be mine. They want an aristocrat to lead the charge, and they shall have it." Megumi supposed that made sense; it would not be the best idea for Shishio to know that Katsura yet lived. He apparently already knew about Kenshin, or at least Enishi did.

"I am going to find Kaoru and bring her back." The last sentence was spoken so softly it was almost a whisper, but Megumi caught it even as the speaker turned and disappeared into the night. She smiled slightly to herself; she knew Kenshin would keep his promise. _You'd better. I don't think any of us would forgive you if you couldn't._

* * *

Kaoru lay in her gilded cage, pondering the ceiling. If only she'd been a little quicker on the uptake, she might not have found herself in this position at all. She sighed; there was simply no way she was meant to be a spy, end of story. All that hiding and deception wasn't something she thought she could ever manage for very long; she simply didn't have that much control over her willful tongue, it would seem.

Though if she were being fair, it seemed like Enishi had figured it out pretty early on, and nothing she would have done from that point forward would have made a difference anyway. _Not that any of this helps me now. _Sighing, the young woman rolled over atop the feather-stuffed mattress, sliding easily over the silk duvet. The room she was captive in was easily the most luxurious thing she had ever seen, and she hated it. A prison was still a prison, no matter how it looked, and the window was bound tightly shut with a lock on the outside, the door guarded day and night by silent men completely loyal to Enishi.

The man himself visited at least once a day, and seemed inclined to carry on as though she were his guest and not being held for some unknown purpose. Each time he attempted to strike up a conversation, she flatly asked him why she was here and refused to say anything else, which meant a lot of listening to him speak. He seemed fond of the topic of his upbringing, which she paid attention to only because there were occasional mentions of Kenshin or even Aoshi, and things about his sister. It was clear that he had been devoted to the woman, apparently his only living family at the time she died.

It was hard _not _to feel for him, really, but she managed to avoid expressing any such sentiment by focusing very hard on being as rude as possible, which unfortunately seemed to feed his fire more than anything. She was not some petty amusement, for heaven's sake! She was a person, a living, breathing soul who treasured her _freedom, _and was not pleased about having it forcibly removed, thank you very much.

She was beginning to understand Kenshin's reluctance to return to this ugly realm of courtly games. _Not again. _If ever she let her mind idle for too long a time (and it was not as though she had much choice with nothing to do), it always returned to the redheaded prince and her friends. But definitely mostly him; it was getting a bit irritating, honestly. It wasn't as though she had nothing else to think about- she _should _be trying to figure a way out of here.

Yes, that was it. She needed to escape, and soon. But nobody ever opened the door until Enishi came, so- _that's it! _Kaoru grinned broadly, though none were around to see it. She had a plan, now all that remained was to implement it.

* * *

Kenshin crept through the Yukishiro estate's gardens in complete silence. What were once flourishing patches of life were now overgrown with weeds and the smell of rotting stalks and stems hung in the air about him. It would seem that Enishi was too busy to hire anyone to keep these things in order.

The overthrown prince was just glad of the cover they provided. It made it all the more difficult for the guards to spot him before he was upon them. For they at least he managed to stay his blade, but their employer would not know the same mercy, not from him. To involve an innocent in his plot for a twisted revenge was simply unforgivable, especially considering just who that innocent was.

The men at the gate slid to the ground, unconscious, and, golden eyes alight, the wayward noble made his way straight into the tiger's keep.


	20. Chapter 16: Escapes and Escapades

Chapter 16: Escapes and Escapades

_

* * *

In other countries, fighting is a job for soldiers alone. Nobility and peasants alike rely on other people to wage wars in their name. To some extent, as I have mentioned, this can be said to be true of our nation as well. But, you also know by now that even the lowliest peasant is trained to defend himself, and the same is true of the most lax noble._

_Much can and has been said about the depravity of the noble houses in the period in history we deal with, and indeed, I'll not deny that some of them were especially frightful in this regard. It was an era of wanton debauchery and madness, both figurative and occasionally literal._

_Of course, when you have mad nobility that can fight, you have quite a large problem to deal with, and do not imagine that the revolution was anything other than the most worthy and paramount of challenges for those who waged it._

* * *

Enishi stalked about his study, restless mind not allowing him much leeway to focus on the tasks at hand. He knew that coward would be showing his face soon; he was compelled to by the very fact that his servant had been stolen. _Hm… servant? No, she's probably his woman. It would be just like him to send such a person in his stead to do his work. _The thought was bitter, but where a more fastidious soul might have rebuked himself for having it, Enishi reveled in it. The bitterness, the hate, those had been the only things sustaining him for so long. They gave him the fevered drive to continue, masked only by an increasingly-thin layer of courtly manners and finesse.

There were those, he knew well enough, who would upon the barest glimpse into his conscious thoughts think him mad. This, too, he twisted, turned to his own benefit. Yes, perhaps he was mad, but in the end, such things were inconsequential. He had but one goal, one thought, and that was to end the life of the man who had cost him his sister.

Except now his plan was proving to be more of a liability than a help. Three days it had been since the woman's capture, and Kenshin still had not shown his face. The only face he did see was Kaoru's… and not just when he went to visit her. Irritatingly, the girl's image often leapt unbidden to the forefront of his mind, even when he was trying to think of other things. To think that he, master manipulator of men and women alike, could be drawn so easily into a lure so subtle that it was for all appearances not there… it was infuriating in the highest degree. He burned to discover how that trap had been laid, to pick apart the mechanism by which she compelled him to speak of painful things and to visit always, even when he should rightly be preparing for the arrival of his nemesis.

He needed to see her. Now, in fact. Needed to understand what it was that the woman was doing to him. What once was a mind focused on but one thing, a finely-tuned instrument of vengeance, was now so easily turned aside, and he had to know why.

Striding down the red-carpeted halls of his estate, Enishi did not need to think about where he was going, so naturally did his feet bring him outside her door. In his uncharacteristic haste, he dismissed the guard with the wave of a hand. It would not do for his men to understand his plight before he did, in case it should be some unforeseen weakness on his part. The man did not even blink as he departed, and if he thought the command strange, he knew better than to question it.

Lord Yukishiro threw open the door without a single ounce of his usual calculated ease; he was past that now. He expected to see what he always saw: Kaoru looking out the window with her back to him, or nose-deep in one of the books permitted to her. He saw neither of these things, however, and it was only pure feral instinct that saved him from the heavy collision of one such book with his head.

Kaoru had appeared from behind the door, mouth set in a grim and determined line, when she realized that her ambush had failed her. Without the element of surprise, he was at an advantage and they both knew it. Taller, stronger, and armed, it wouldn't be much of a fight… or so he believed.

To his surprise, the chit followed up with a barehanded strike to his side, which he evaded by jumping to the left. His adrenaline firing up for confrontation almost against his will, he did not quite remember that her goal would more likely be escape, and so the grab he made for the girl's arm as she took advantage of the fact that he was no longer blocking the whole doorway only caught her sleeve, which tore under the pressure. He was left clutching only a piece of fabric for a split second before he hurtled after her.

She was swift; he had to give her that. Unfortunately for her, his prey did not know the layout of his home, and he most certainly did. Unbeknownst to himself, Enishi's face was split into a wide, predatory grin, which only grew wider as she chose the wrong corner and turned down what he well knew to be a dead end. This hallway terminated in a single window, and since they were on the fourth floor, there was nowhere for her to go.

She came to the realization a few seconds after he did, but by then he was down the hall after her, and she was cornered. "My, my, my," he purred low in his throat, "the little kitten has some claws to her, doesn't she?" He chuckled darkly, and did not miss the shiver that coursed down her spine at the uncanny sound. He rather liked it, in fact, and the defiant glare, sent all the stronger to countermand that instinctive fear… he was beginning to understand his recent obsession. It was not, as he had suspected, a cunning trap, but rather entirely the opposite. This woman was no court lady, intent on manipulating everyone else to her own ends. No, she was something far more raw than that; an uncut gem, perhaps.

No, that wasn't quite right, either… she was a thorned rose. How strange, that she so perfectly embodied everything he thought worth preserving in the world. It was not a wonder that Lord Himura had taken to her. Somehow, that thought alone was enough to tinge his fascination with envy. So the exiled prince thought he could have everything, did he? That he could just lay claim to anything Enishi valued and take it, only to throw it away when push came to shove? No, that man was a coward, and though his insidious manner had cost Enishi his sister, it would not cost him this one as well.

His thoughts had brought his feet closer to Kaoru, and he was now within enough proximity to make her uncomfortable, something that was showing quite clearly on her lovely face. "Such an… interesting expression," he observed, tilting his head to one side as though he were examining a curiosity he'd found at market. Interested to see exactly what would happen if he pushed it further, Enishi reached out, running the back of his fingers down Kaoru's cheek. The sensation was warm, her skin flushed; she was clearly agitated. She lost her composure for a moment and flinched, which only make him laugh softly once again.

Something was annoying him, though; she kept glancing out the window, as though contemplating the likelihood of a jump. "That's not going to help, my dear," he said, gripping her chin and forcing her to face him. "That jump would at the very least injure you, and there are guards posted all about this estate. So do stop struggling. You will find that I am a much more… charitable man than those you keep company with." He leaned in close, feeling the soft gusts of her constrained breath on his neck as he whispered into her ear. "If you know how to ask nicely."

"There are plenty of people who could tell you that I never ask nicely," she replied, and before he could decide what she was getting at, her fist connected with his abdomen, the unexpected blow sending him staggering back a step, which was apparently enough. Kaoru seized the opportunity to throw open the window and perch on the ledge.

"Kenshin!" she called, and then she was gone.

* * *

Getting past the gate guards was one thing, but finding an entrance into the house that was not likely to wake the entire garrison and subsequently waste the time it would take to deal with that was proving most troublesome. All the more irritating because he could _feel_ that she was close. She had a peculiar ki, and emitted a good deal more of it than most people, which made her easy to track unless she chose to hide it, which was presently not the case. Once or twice, it flared as though she was in a confrontation, and urgency hastened his steps, though it did him little good.

Ultimately, he decided to get as close as possible and figure out how he was going to get in from there. So, dodging guards and felling those few he could not avoid, he circumnavigated the estate, fairly certain that she was moving. Kaoru was not in the same place she had been when he arrived, and he hoped that was by her choice rather than someone else's.

He had just reached a corner and was contemplating entering from the ground-level servants' entrance when he heard a shout. He had barely a second to pinpoint the source of the sound before he saw Kaoru jump from a fourth-story window, hurtling to the ground below. A burst of speed took him to where she would land, and he braced himself for the impact, which was considerable even despite the fact that she was a rather small person. He caught her, but the effort sent them both sprawling to the ground rather painfully. He rolled to lessen the jarring, which was apparently her instinct also, because he found himself in a rather compromising position, arms braced on either side of Kaoru's prone form.

There was a moment in which his mind caught up with the rest of him, and in that moment, he had to admit to himself that he wasn't exactly sure what to do. Of course, the obvious answer was to move and get them both out of here, but… he didn't really want to do that.

Kaoru cleared her throat, and his more logical self immediately reasserted control. Kenshin leapt backwards and to his feet, perhaps a bit too swiftly, but he did offer her a hand up, which she accepted gratefully. Her hand, he realized, was shaking, and she shot a fearful glance to the window she had jumped from. That was not at all like her, and his eyes followed her own. There was no longer anyone else there, but it did not take a great deal of intelligence to discover that there had been.

"Kaoru, what happened?" His voice was barely more than a growl, and it caused her to regard him with a furrowed brow and a frown. Still, the trembling stilled, and she seemed to have regained control of herself.

He was not so sure the same could be said of him. The thought of what Enishi could do had of course occurred to him, but Aoshi had stemmed the consequences of that train of thought by convincing him that the Yukishiro lord would not want harm to come to his hostage if he truly intended her to be used against Kenshin somehow. Now, though… it was not so certain, especially if whatever he had done caused the usually-fearless Kaoru to look so apprehensive.

It took her a moment to catch his meaning, it would seem, but eventually she did, blushing darkly and looking at the ground. "Nothing. I'd rather not discuss it. Can we just leave?"

Kenshin shook his head. As much as he would like to, they were not being given a choice. Even if he'd had one, though, he would have refused it. He was getting tired of letting other people fight his battles for him, whether it be employing his friends to spy or allowing his fiancée to save him from an unwinnable fight. He was done with all of it.

Before he could explain any of this, though, a voice broke the darkness. "Leave? But we were only just getting acquainted, my dear…"

* * *

Kaoru's head snapped up, eyes immediately finding the direction from which the voice had sounded. Her hands clenched into fists at her side, shaking again, but not with fear. Oh, he scared her, she could not avoid admitting that, but not so much that she would be cowed. No, she was more angry than anything else, and much as she just wished to leave and be done with all of it, so too did she know that he would not cease his pursuit unless he were forced to.

She felt _used, _and she hated it. This man had played her the entire time, led her to believe she could trust him just to further some sick revenge scheme against Kenshin, the motive for which made absolutely no sense to her. From what she could gather of the situation, Tomoe had willingly chosen to sacrifice herself, a noble act that her brother was staining with his insane drive to see her 'avenged.'

"Really? Maybe you should let me _acquaint _you with the pointy end of an arrow," she snarled, tugging at Kenshin's sleeve. Enishi wasn't even worth staying to deal with, not when she was pretty sure it would end in someone's death. She may have threatened him, but she would not want to see his life ended if it could be avoided. Beneath her anger and fear even now was some measure of sympathy for the man. Even if he was handling it completely the wrong way, she knew what it was like to lose the only family you had left to Shishio's tyranny. That Usurper was the one he should be mad at, not Kenshin.

The same mad grin stretched across his face when he stepped into view, and Kaoru shuddered involuntarily. That initial impression she'd had, the one that had screamed _danger_, was so much worse without the pretence of a chivalrous gentleman to cover it. He truly did remind her of some kind of feral beast now, and hardly a caged one, either. The problem was, she was left with the distinct idea that she was the prey in this situation, and she did not like that one bit.

There was movement at her side, and Kenshin met her eyes, shaking his head wordlessly. She knew what he meant, of course: she was unarmed, and not really in the appropriate garments to be fighting besides. Not to mention the days she'd spent in captivity had no doubt left her less-than-rested. Still, she didn't want him to fight this battle for her. Enishi needed to know, needed to understand that she would not allow herself to be cowed by him.

Yet… this was more Kenshin's fight than hers, truthfully. He was the one at the center of the white-haired man's revenge scheme, the one who had caused all of this, however unwillingly and indirectly. _Maybe I'm the one trying to fight for someone else's cause, not the other way around…_

She understood, and nodded resolutely, releasing his sleeve and stepping back, though it did not stop her from leveling her best glare at Enishi.

"You're lucky," Kenshin informed the man tonelessly. "If she had insisted, I would not have stopped her, and she would have torn you apart." Kaoru was honestly taken aback. He didn't actually mean that, did he? Kenshin's head turned just a little bit and he cast a glance back in her direction, a sly smirk playing on his lips. So he was mocking her! No, that wasn't quite right… it was something else. He was… she couldn't quite put her finger on what it meant, save that it was more tangible evidence of his faith in her strength than she'd ever thought to get from the swordsman. Kaoru smiled a bit herself, but she knew better than to keep her attention off Enishi for long.

The bespectacled nobleman was regarding them both coldly, a jaunty angle to his head, and she knew that meant nothing good. His gaze passed over Kenshin to settle on her again, but she refused to show even a trace of any reaction to it. He seemed… disappointed by this, and sighed theatrically. "Fine, fine, have it your way. I have rather been waiting for this moment, after all." He drew a blade, dropping into a stance that Kaoru surmised would lend him speed and flexibility, as well as a variable defense. It would seem that he was no mean opponent, though she could have guessed as much beforehand.

* * *

The battle was a flurry of clashes from the start, as neither man was in the right mindset to spend time playing around. For Enishi, each swing was charged with the fevered energy that had driven his mind long ago over a precipice to which he could no longer return. It was the strength of the absolute, the light in his eyes burned with the fire of true madness.

He was matched, strike for strike, by precision and speed reminiscent of lightning; no less impassioned, but more controlled, calculated. Still, Enishi knew that his opponent was angry, albeit not in the same reckless, raging way as he has turned into his motivation for years.

After a particularly violent exchange that earned the white-haired man a gash across his arm and the redhead a more grievous slash that had scraped his ribcage, the two leapt back, Enishi cackling madly. "You don't want it as much as I do," he informed the exiled prince with a madman's smile splitting his face. "You don't want to see me die, not like I demand it of you. What makes you hesitate, Kenshin? Do you not want to survive? Death is just another way to run away, after all, so maybe you don't."

Without offering his opponent a chance to speak, Enishi leapt forward again, aiming to decapitate Kenshin with a single brutal blow. To his surprise, the man did something he had never seen before: Kenshin bent backwards until he was supported by his hands alone, then threw all his weight forward again while Enishi was still extended, catching his jaw with a foot.

Lord Yukishiro's head snapped back under the force, but though he was dizzied, the impact had not been enough to break anything, a most puzzling circumstance, since Enishi well knew his opponent to have sufficient strength for this. "What are you playing at, Himura?" he growled, moving his head from side to side in an attempt to work his neck back into place.

"This isn't a game, no matter what you think of it." His reply came not in Himura's voice, but the sibilant tones of the little spitfire at his side. "Lives are not something to be trifled with."

_Ah, of course. _It all made so much more sense now. The only reason Kenshin wasn't trying to kill him is because the chit was still here. It was enough to pull another chuckle from Enishi, and he regarded the prince with a newly-understanding look. Well, as understanding as he could appear, anyway. "My, how the mighty have fallen, to be subject to the will and whim of a woman," the lord taunted, grinning when Himura's expression grew harder. _Good, good._

This was becoming fun. No longer interested in simply killing his sister's betrothed and being done with it, Enishi had decided on a much more delicious plan indeed. He would see the man dead, of course, but not before proving to the girl that the man she thought she knew was no less a killer than he. He'd break her will, watch with glee as the defiance seeped out of her eyes, only to be replaced with horror at her rescuer's actions, and Himura would die knowing that he'd been the cause of it all.

Oh yes, he was going to relish this indeed.

* * *

The clang of steel meeting steel was harsh on his ears, but Kenshin barely noticed it. He was playing at a delicate balance, applying enough speed and ferocity to stave off Enishi, but trying also to make sure that none of his blows were accidentally lethal. It was proving most difficult, and truthfully had Kaoru not been there, he would have ceased in the second part of his effort long ago and been done with it.

Even when he had come here, he had been planning on severing the man's head from his shoulders, though he would spare the guards. But now… he could not bring himself to make the resolution and perform the act. Perhaps it was- no, it was most _certainly_ foolish, and the inner voice that sounded suspiciously like his master and uncle told him so at irritating volume.

It was the part where she'd thrown herself out the window that had done it. Her ki sense must have told her he was there, because she had been so very certain that he'd catch her- her voice had held not the faintest trace of doubt when she'd called his name, alerting him to her actions. He could admit if only to himself that he had not been nearly so sure he would succeed- it had been much distance to cover in the space of a few seconds, and his heart had been in his throat for those painful moments.

But she had harbored no such doubt; she had trusted him completely. Trust was not something he was all that used to receiving. Certainly, Aoshi trusted him- they had been friends and comrades for years. But there was nobody else- not even Yahiko or Misao. Part of each of them was still too afraid of him to trust him so completely, and he well knew it. Kenshin was not sure he was comfortable with being relied upon in such a manner- not because he disliked it _per se, _but because it brought the possibility of failing to live up to that trust to the forefront of his mind.

He knew without asking that she was also counting on him to do the right thing and not kill Enishi. The man was dangerous, and insane, but even so, her charitable heart would not label him fit to be slain. He didn't understand it in the slightest, but he did know that he would do whatever it took to defeat him whilst allowing him to live all the same.

Not that the last scion of House Yukishiro was making it easy, taunting him with jibes that would have but months ago ensured his fate as a dead man. So too did he hammer away at Kenshin's defenses with giddy delight, and the shorter man knew he was tiring. The battle had to shift soon, else he would be the one in danger of being killed.

Enishi's taunts, tending now in the direction of Tomoe and Akira, were opening up old wounds that Kenshin had long thought sealed. He did not resent his departed fiancée for falling in love with another man, but that didn't mean such things did not faze him in the slightest. She had been right to seek someone else with whom to share her heart; he had proven himself most unworthy of it. The past was not the problem; it was the thinly-veiled implications about the future resembling it that caused his jaw to clench involuntarily.

What he was suggesting- that Kaoru would eventually leave him in the same manner, was of course ludicrous for a number of reasons, principally among them that the two did not have that kind of relationship, but it bothered him all the same.

The two locked swords, Enishi speaking low enough that only Kenshin could hear him. "She really does smell lovely, doesn't she, Himura? Her skin tastes just as sweet- but then you wouldn't know that, would you? Shall I describe it for you?"

Kenshin saw red, pushing back with more force than strictly necessary, which sent Enishi into a fit of maniacal laughter even as he was forced to stagger backwards. "I see I've touched a nerve! Poor Prince Kenshin, ever the gentleman, ever the loser."

"Be. Silent." Kenshin launched himself at Enishi, eyes flashing, unadulterated rage coursing through his system. He had lost the sharp focus of before, and now burned almost as erratically as Enishi himself. The other man knew it, and kept right on goading him out of Kaoru's earshot. "She's deceptive, that one. She spits fire, but in truth she's quite pliant and soft… if you know where to-" he was cut off, narrowly avoiding a slash aimed unabashedly for his throat, but this only seemed to make him more smug.

Still, he had miscalculated his own strength, perhaps expecting much the same man as Kenshin had been when last they met. No more than five sword-strokes later, Enshi was on the ground, disarmed, with the tip of Kenshin's blade pressed just barely into his throat, the prince's foot upon his chest keeping him pinned in place.

Only a soft sigh of relief kept Kenshin from applying just a bit more pressure and ending his life. Kaoru, unaware of most of the conversation, approached from behind. "Well, I suppose we could knock him out and take him to Sherriff Saito. I think he'd be willing to keep such an important prisoner…" she trailed off for a moment, and Kenshin supposed she must have seen the look of pure loathing on his face at last. "…Kenshin? What's wrong?"

Without answering, Kenshin glared hard at Enishi, pressing on the sword just enough to draw blood, a message clear as day between them. _Were it not for her, you would have died. Remember that. _Sheathing his sword, the redhead delivered a decisive blow to his defeated opponent's temple, knocking him unconscious.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru seemed to still be after an answer to her earlier question, but she wasn't going to have it. Not until he knew for sure.

"Did he hurt you?" the swordsman growled, clearly surprising her with his tone, though she shook her head. "Touch you?"

Her eyes fell to the ground for a moment, and his hand instantly went back to the hilt of his blade. If there had been even a hint of truth to Enishi's words…

A pale hand covered his, gently prying his fingers from the blade. "I was his prisoner, and there were times when he made me… uncomfortable…" she turned a few shades pinker, but did not drop her eyes from his, perhaps sensing that her resolution was even now the only thing keeping the vicious side of his temper at bay, "but he didn't- I would never have let…" she seemed to fumble over her words for a moment, finally just shaking her head.

Without warning, Kenshin closed what little distance remained between them, catching her chin in a hand and narrowing his eyes slightly, a half-curious tilt to his head. "Are you certain?" The question made sense in context, but there was another meaning layered beneath it, one that the speaker himself was only somewhat aware of. It was the same strange feeling that came over him whenever their proximity was this close. So had it been when they rode for Nottinghamshire, when he'd watched over her poison-fevered dreams, and just a short time ago, when he'd broken her fall.

Enishi was correct about one thing at least; her scent was heady, a potent mixture of steel, pine, something floral, and the slightly-salty smell of her alabaster skin. Kenshin wasn't sure how he felt about someone else agreeing with him on this point, but at least this was something he had known first.

"…Yes." Kaoru's eyebrows were furrowed in confusion, but he knew- hoped- that she had understood everything that was meant. There was one very good way to find out, and if he had been entertaining reservations about such a method, they all disappeared quite suddenly at the sight of the deepening blush spreading over her face. Apparently she as well was not unaffected by the scant inches between them.

"Good." With that one simple word, so inadequate for the situation, Kenshin released his hold on himself and used the hand on her chin to tilt her head upwards, bringing his lips down to move hungrily over hers.

Kaoru made a small startled noise, but did not attempt to push him away. His hands shifted to cradle the back of her neck, calloused fingers burying themselves in her unbound tresses. Hesitantly, she returned the kiss, and he smirked against her mouth as she grew more bold, quite unwilling to be outdone. That was so very like her.

At the encouragement of his insistent tongue against her lips, Kaoru allowed him to deepen the kiss, and he wasted little time exploring her mouth with languid strokes, one hand still tangled in her silken hair, the other trailing caresses down her side until her reached her hip, moving to the small of her back to pull her flush against him. A breathy moan was her response, and the sound of it only increased his fervor. She was indeed so very, very… soft.

Abruptly, Kenshin's eyes snapped open, and he broke off the heated exchange, stepping a good few feet away. Admittedly, it took him a number of seconds to regain his breath. Kaoru was regarding him with confusion and just the barest traces of hurt written across her features, and he was suddenly ashamed of himself.

Clearing his throat, Kenshin avoided meeting her eyes when he spoke. "We should take him to Saito, then. Let's go; the others will be expecting us."

He felt captivating blue eyes boring into his back, but she said nothing, and for that, his cowardly heart was grateful.

_

* * *

A/N: Well… yeah. I tried, but that has to be the most awkward thing to write that I've ever attempted in my life. Hopefully it didn't totally suck. At least it was early, right? Aaaaanyway, the story will now be moving into the final "let's kick Shishio into next Tuesday" arc pretty soon… maybe one more chapter for setup. And the repercussions of that little moment. Because there will be repercussions. _

_Anywho, somebody please drop me a review and tell me I shouldn't just quit writing fanfic because I'm horrible at it. Please. I'm having doubts. Urgh._

_*eye twitch*_

_Oh, and the next one might be late. I leave for Japan soon, to study abroad for a semester, so my posting schedule will be irregular at best depending on how easy it is for me to access the Internet. No earthquake/tsunami/nuclear meltdown is gonna stop me from going though. Tokyo or bust._


	21. Interlude IV

Interlude IV

_

* * *

Festivals have always been an integral part of Meiji's culture. The chief festival of any given year is Feast Day, the celebration of the day Meiji finally succeeded in parting from the control of the empire to the east. It should come as no surprise; the tenacity with which the people of this nation hold to their freedom and independence almost makes it a foregone conclusion._

_Generally, Feast Day is seen to be the day in which the king must thank his citizens for their part in keeping the country free. On this day, most kings have chosen to spent the daylight hours in their receiving halls, listening to the worries of anyone who wishes to enter. At night, a grand feast is served in the square of the capitol, and inns are paid by the crown to serve any who need a meal. This tradition often extends to other nobles, who hold similar gatherings for their own people. In every town, it is the responsibility of the highest crown agent to do the same._

_In the capitol, Feast Day is ended with a display of firecrackers, made exhaustively all year by the finest pyrotechnic artisans in the country. It is truly a day of celebration, one looked forward to no less by parents than their children._

* * *

This was getting ridiculous. Kaoru sighed, groaning inwardly. It had been several days since they had taken Enishi to Saito and had him locked up somewhere Shishio's goons couldn't free him. He'd have a trial as soon as Katsura was back on the throne where he belonged. No, her problem had nothing to do with Enishi, not really. It had everything to do with Kenshin, and the fact that he had spoken scarcely two words to her since.

It hadn't been the cold shoulder, precisely; she hadn't exactly approached him and struck up a conversation, either, but… sometimes, she could tell he was watching her, and when she looked up, sure as anything, the golden eyes would bore into hers for a moment, and she would read something in them that she didn't quite know how to place. Invariably, she would smile shakily, and he would seem to realize himself and look away. She hated it, every part of it, especially the thrill that look sent through her stomach. It was as if there were a swarm of moths in there, and they all went into a tizzy at nothing but a look. It was rather unnerving, and only served to confuse her further.

She wasn't completely without self-awareness, though- she knew _why _she felt this way, she just didn't know _how. _Or when, for that matter. It was not difficult to admit that Kenshin was… an attractive man, or that she was drawn to him on some level. He challenged her, forced her to stand up for her views, and though that infuriated her sometimes, she could appreciate it. It meant he was treating her as an equal, and he was willing to hear her out. She truly enjoyed his company, sullen and quiet as he could be sometimes, and she was wholeheartedly behind what he was trying to do.

Perhaps, with time, she would have been able to admit to herself that she was falling for him. She'd been among his group for about a year now, all told, and in that time had come to appreciate who he was and how he got there. But then… he had… _no, _we_ did. I was just as much a participant as he was, and I can't blame him for this. _

Now, she was simply confused. In all the time she had been slowly figuring out how she had felt about him, she had never once entertained the notion that he thought of her as anything more than an ally, maybe someone who might be a friend someday. Yet… his kiss had been impassioned, demanding, his hands… she shuddered involuntarily and blushed, even though there wasn't really anyone else around to see. Megumi had caught her daydreaming about it once, and immediately known something was afoot. Kaoru had only barely managed to avoid telling her everything like some overexcited girl with her first crush.

Really, she'd kept quiet for his sake. He seemed to regret it now, if his recent behavior was anything to go by. The problem was, despite the obvious issues with them ever repeating the episode (his station, the mission, the fact that either of them might die at any moment), _she_ did not regret it in the slightest. If her body's reactions to the simple memory were anything to go by, she'd be blissfully happy to repeat it until the day she really did die. _Oh no… don't tell me I'm already- _she shook her head sharply, banishing the thought before it could form completely. There was one mess she wanted to stay well away from.

Best to just ignore it for now, and hope that everything went back to normal soon. It wasn't exactly what she wanted, but… it would surely be better than this.

* * *

Kenshin cursed under his breath. She'd looked up, and it had only been then that he realized he'd been staring in the first place. Again. His eyes seemed to drift towards Kaoru at every possible opportunity and his own inability to recognize when this was happening irritated him to no end.

What had happened… he knew he should feel guilty about it. He'd taken blatant advantage of the trust she had in him, and doubtless had caused her no small amount of confusion. He could read it in her too-familiar face when she smiled now, that note of uncertainty that had never been there before. She had been perfect, and he'd ruined it.

Yet… he'd felt nothing but gratified when she'd responded to his attentions, and the fact that he wanted that sensation again- her warm, pliant lips moving with his- _that _was the sole and crushing reason for his guilt. If his influence ruined her, he _wanted _her to be ruined, and the pure selfishness of such a thought shamed him.

So he'd avoided her altogether, as much as one could in such close quarters. At meals, he made sure there was always one person between them, and he spent much of the time between these alone or with Hiko, practicing. He had finally mastered the succession technique, or at least as much as he could without being willing to use it on his master. It was designed to kill one man as it was passed to the next, but he absolutely refused to do that. Maybe once, he would have been able to understand and accept the practical necessity of it, but not so any longer. Shishio would have to be the test case.

But now they were here, in the middle of camp, and he had no excuse to leave. They had inevitably made eye contact again, and she was beginning to look… irritated? Maybe that was it. He supposed he could understand that; he was not unaware that his behavior had been rather boorish, but he saw no other way to handle it. Damn it all; he had to get away from that stare, and now.

* * *

He was leaving- yet _again. _Kaoru was most displeased with this, and her breath left her in a huff. Things would just go back to normal… right. As if that was going to happen. She'd quite nearly forgotten how insufferable he could be when he set his mind to it.

"You gonna let that slide?" Sano's voice sounded from somewhere behind her, and she rounded on him, intent on telling him to mind his own business, because she really needed to get this out of her system, but the look on his face was completely serious, and she was so unused to seeing it that she stopped before saying anything and actually thought about it.

"…No. No, I'm not," she replied, almost as though coming to the realization herself, and she nodded firmly, not noticing the grin that had split her friend's face as she departed after Kenshin.

"You look like the cat that ate the canary," Megumi commented to Sano, raising a brow. She suspected it had something to do with the determined flash that had just lit Kaoru's eyes, but she had not heard the exchange of words, so she could not be sure.

"Do I?" He replied with a smirk, advancing the distance between them and planting a bold kiss on her lips. "Well, maybe I just set the raccoon loose."

Megumi took a second to recover her breath before speaking again. "Sano, that made no sense."

"Didn't it? Oh well." The man shrugged as if he didn't really care, and just gave her that half-wild, lopsided grin again, the one that sent shivers from her head to her toes.

_Oh well, indeed._

* * *

Kaoru crashed through the underbrush, not even bothering to be stealthy. He'd know she was coming, anyway, because she was tracking him with her ki sense. He wasn't moving, though, and she considered that a good thing. _Even if you had run, I would have followed you._

She wasn't sure exactly how she felt about that revelation, but right now, she didn't really care. She _felt _so much that it was making her sick to her stomach, and she needed to get some answers before she burst.

She found him in a clearing, facing away from her, seated, apparently staring off into space. Her stomps faded to the whispers of sound she usually made, and she ghosted to his side, fixing him with a measured look before dropping gracefully to the ground beside him.

It was a long moment before she spoke, and she held out hope that he would in that time instigate the conversation, or at the very least look at her. He did neither, and she made a small tsk-ing noise in the back of her throat before breaking into the silence with more completeness. "We need to discuss this."

"Discuss what?" She rolled her eyes.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Kenshin. We need to discuss why we aren't talking to each other, why you can't so much look at me without leaving camp, why I-"

He interrupted her with a sigh. "Fine. I'm sorry; I shouldn't have. Is this sufficient?" His tone was abrupt, and he still refused to look at her. Kaoru couldn't decide if she was more angry or hurt by this; whatever it was, it manifested in a clipped, sharp tone.

"No it isn't!" she practically shouted, and she felt a bit gratified when he flicked his eyes in her direction at last. "I don't want you to apologize, I want… I want…" Kaoru hesitated, groaning inwardly. What _did _she really want? She had thought a reversion to what had been before would be enough, but now she was sure that it couldn't be. She didn't want to be kind-of friends with Kenshin anymore.

"Be careful how you finish that statement," he warned her in a low voice, and she was startled to discover that his eyes had gone a shade darker, the expression in them unreadable but sending some unnamed thrill though her nerve endings.

"I want you to kiss me again." The words were out of her mouth before she realized it, and her eyes betrayed her shock at the admission, spoken aloud before she'd even truly admitted it to herself in the right amount of words.

She didn't really have time to think about it though, because a low growl issued from the back of Kenshin's throat, and it wasn't half a second more before she was on her back in the grass, looking directly into those darkened irises. Kenshin was supporting himself with a hand on either side of her, and Kaoru sucked in a shaky breath, willing herself to have the courage to follow through on her proclamation.

He descended, lips brushing hers in the lightest of chaste kisses once, twice. She sighed softly, nipping his lower lip and looping her arms about his neck. She felt him smile against her mouth, before diverting his attentions to her jawline, tracing a path to her earlobe and down her neck, twisting one long-fingered hand into the hair at the nape of her neck, the contact causing her to shiver.

A second passed, but nothing else happened, and Kaoru opened her eyes to find that Kenshin had ceased, and was regarding her with a troubled look on his face. "Kenshin?" she questioned quietly, not really sure what was wrong.

A pained expression replaced the other one, and he moved to the side, lying on his own back beside her. "I can't do this, Kaoru. Not now."

Her eyebrows knit together, and she turned her head to the side to look at him. "Do what? Why not?"

"This," he made a vague gesture with his hand, and he seemed so completely out of his element that she swallowed back her offended remark and decided to let him finish. "Not now. Not when there are still things to be done."

"More important things." She knew it probably sounded selfish, but she could hardly help the thought all the same, and her tone was not bitter, only dejected. He had an empire to retake, a war to wage and battles to lead and hopefully win. She couldn't really blame him for that, but…

"No," Kenshin's denial was swift. "Just… more pressing. More dangerous."

"I'm not made of glass, Kenshin. I can and will be dealing with those dangerous things, too, but I'm still…" _in love with you._

He shook his head. "I can't risk it. If I allowed this to continue, and then something happened, I- it's foolish to involve yourself with me."

Kaoru nearly panicked. He was beginning to close himself off again, become the hard-hearted person he thought of himself as, and she didn't like the frosty edge his last words had taken. _Oh no… you're not getting out of this that easily._

Propping herself up on her elbows, Kaoru leveled a glare at him. "And what if something happens anyway, Kenshin? What if we never took this chance, and then we never get to? Would you be okay with that? I wouldn't." Her eyes flashed dangerously, and she shook her head, making to get up. "If I had known you were still such a coward, I would never have-"

She was cut off by a viselike grip on her arm, pulling her back to the ground, and a secret smile played on her lips for just an instant before she gave in to the pressure.

* * *

Sano had to resist the urge to snicker when Kaoru and Kenshin returned to camp an hour or so after they had left. Her lips were swollen, and he was sporting a red mark that was clearly a bite mark on one shoulder, which he abruptly covered by adjusting the arm of his shirt. The fist-fighter and Megumi shared a grin, and she simply rolled her eyes.

He was not one to let the matter go so easily, of course, but figured he'd give it a while to settle in with both of them before he began his ribbing in earnest. He had some mercy in him, after all.

"Well," he announced to the camp generally, "I've done most everything I can to mobilize the farmers and villagers. Thanks for letting me borrow the cloak, Kaoru; I think the Watchman legend really helped. They know when we plan to move, I think, and the rumors are moving thick and fast, but they're careful not to tip off the loyalists."

"Good," Kenshin noted, looking distinctly more uncomfortable than usually passed his stoic façade. Oh, this was too good.

An awkward silence (that Sano relished) fell over the group, at least until Aoshi chose to break it. "I take it the plan is still the same, then? Kenshin, Sano, and myself infiltrate Shishio's feast-day masquerade, while Kaoru and the others lead the peasants and what few noble allies we've managed to muster against the main force of his troops to prevent them from coming to his aid?"

"That's one hell of a plan you have there," Hiko contributed dryly. Just how long do you think a bunch of peasants and one or two battalions of soldiers can hold the capital army?"

"Not long," Kaoru replied, "but long enough." She wasn't convinced she was the best choice to lead the army, such as it was, but Aoshi had correctly pointed out that people would fight for the Watchman's justice, much more willingly than for anyone else. The Watchman's cause was their cause, after all, and she and her friends all dressed in black had been thwarting some of Shishio's most concerted oppression efforts for a while.

Hiko grunted, but turned to his apprentice. "I guess that means you'll have to be fast about it, won't you?"

Kenshin did not comment, apparently deeming it unnecessary.

"Two months," Megumi mused aloud. "That's not a lot of time to prepare."

"It will have to be enough," Kenshin replied flatly.

_

* * *

A/N: Hello again everyone! Let me begin by saying thank you for all the amazingly supportive reviews last chapter. I'm glad to hear that treading into unfamiliar writing territory is something I should do more often! I fully admit that I was so happy I decided to update a week early for you all._

_Many of you also wished me safe travels to Japan, and I thank you for that as well. Unfortunately, my college has withdrawn financial support, so I won't be going after all. On the plus side, this means I should be able to stick to a better update schedule. :-) _

_Anyway, I got so many reviews last chapter that I was completely flabbergasted. This one's more of a transitional thing (I hate to say filler), and I will be getting the plot back into high gear by next time. Thanks a bunch, you guys, reading reviews really does lift my spirits._


	22. Chapter 17: Silence and Speaking

Chapter 17: Silence and Speaking

* * *

_The Glorious Revolution, as it eventually came to be called, symbolically represents many important things about Meiji culture. The importance of good leadership, for example, and the significance of the common man in the great, history-altering moments in its lifespan._

_Only a few times in history have the ordinary citizens of this country taken up arms en masse, and it has always taken a paramount threat to force them to do so. Still, it would be no exaggeration to say that no populace but ours is quite so effective when roused, and the spirit of our people- independent, strong, fastidious- is evident in these moments._

_It is said that only a great leader can inspire his followers to greatness. I will leave the truth of that for you to decide, and tell the story as it is known to us._

* * *

As it turned out, two months passed even faster than Kaoru had been expecting it to. She busied herself with Yahiko's instruction, as well as organizing the Night Division, as those militia devoted to the service of the Night Watchman insisted on calling themselves, so that they might pass the word to the peasants at large. This had involved revealing her true identity to a few of those in charge, so that she might meet and speak freely with them.

She had feared this would not be received well, but it turned out to be much less a hurdle than she had thought. When she asked one of the men, Keisuke, why he had so readily submitted to her command, she had simply shrugged. "Look, milady, I don' wanna sound crude or nothin', but that kinda stuff doesn't really matter when people are this desperate, yeah? You know how to win a fight, and you keep the people thinkin' there's some kinda hope left out there fer us, and if that ain't enough, I dunno what would be."

She'd been inexplicably warmed by that, and took it upon herself to do everything she could to ensure that these men (and the occasional woman) would survive. She went so far as to teach the men some useful tricks for combat, which they could then pass on to their underlings. Anything that would help, she tried, and many evenings were spent in consultation with Aoshi and Katsura regarding battle strategy. Such large-scale efforts were not something she was used to, and she listened carefully to the two men, both far more experienced in this area than she.

What few spare moments she had were spent with Megumi and Misao, or Kenshin, whenever he was around. He passed much of his time with Hiko these days, and Sano had wandered off into the forest to train by himself halfway through the first month, and had not yet returned.

Kaoru had asked Megumi if she was concerned about this, but the woman had such absolute confidence in him that her younger friend was inspired by it. Such belief; unshakable resolution that he would return. Kaoru knew that it would not be long before she would have to have that same faith, and she continued to build it a little bit every day, heaping on a little more with every secreted kiss or gentle touch from Kenshin.

They were not overt, but it would have been impossible for anyone not to notice. They always sat beside each other at mealtimes, close enough that their knees touched; a small thing, perhaps, but given that he especially had never been known to have a fondness for contact, it spoke volumes to the perceptive members of their little band.

But the time for such pleasant moments was coming to a close, and the day of their attack loomed close at hand. Aoshi had those tailors of his busy at work on suits for the masquerade, and Kaoru's people had been instructed to continue preparing for the Feast Day festivities as though nothing were amiss. Not that it would be the traditional Feast Day, as the people were being forced to foot the bill themselves, but they were motivated to make it even grander than usual, because at the end of that night, each and every one of them was confident that they would be celebrating freedom with renewed fervor, out from under the thumb of a tyrant.

That all of those closest to the plot could have such assurance. No matter how they tried to mask it, the group was nervous, and it showed in a certain jerkiness of movement here, an uncomfortable silence there. It was getting to the point where Kaoru was both dreading the day's arrival, and also wishing it would hasten in its approach, that they might be past it all the sooner.

* * *

The night before Feast Day was traditionally a holiday for lovers, or those betrothed, perhaps. This particular one was the night Sano chose to make his appearance, and he whisked Megumi away somewhere that none of the others cared to follow. It had been decided by unspoken contract that the following day would not be discussed, that all the preparations had been made, and all the necessary precautions taken. There was no more to do, and speaking of it would serve only to increase anxiety, something that none of them needed.

Aoshi and Misao presently occupied the campfire, speaking in low voices, and Kaoru had no wish to interrupt them. Everyone else had disappeared somewhere or another, and she was feeling out-of-place, even hovering beyond earshot as she was. With a final encouraging look at Misao, she chose to disappear for a while. Kenshin wasn't around, which truthfully upset her more than she liked to consider, but she would not be angry at him for this. If he needed tonight to spend training or receiving some final advice from his uncles, she would not even attempt to keep him from that.

Instead, she walked a fair distance, occasionally stopping to observe the fireflies, out a bit unseasonably, but the nights had been so balmy lately that it made sense. Eventually, she came to the lake. It was a small thing, more of a pond, really, and she had only recently discovered that it was there at all, when Yahiko had showed her. Now it was one of her favorite places, as much because he had shared this secret with her as because the water amidst the trees was beautiful.

She sighed softly, walking to the edge and staring down at her moonlit reflection in the pool of untroubled water. She looked… truthfully, she looked tired, and a tad disheveled as always. She didn't usually bother much about her appearance or anything; there were far more important things to be dealing with. Still, sometimes she wondered…

"You're beautiful, you know." The voice startled her- she'd been so deep in thought that she had not noticed Kenshin's approach. He chuckled softly and slipped his arms around her from behind, hugging her close to his chest, nose pressed into her hair. He always did that, whatever the reason.

She truthfully wasn't sure how to reply to his words. He'd never told her so before, and she hadn't really bothered to consider that he must think so on some level. To hear it though in such simple words, so matter-of-fact, brought a rather embarrassing flush to her face. "…thank you," she muttered quietly.

* * *

Kenshin smiled against the crown of her head. He'd had a feeling she couldn't take a compliment, but he'd had to say it anyway.

He'd been taking his own walk with the intention of clearing his head when he came upon her here, frozen in a moment of contemplation, looking down at what he guessed would be her reflection. He wondered what she saw when she looked at herself, but upon closer inspection, she had seemed to be frowning slightly. That, he had not understood- to him, the truth of it was so obvious, it hardly bore stating. Yet… he remembered a conversation with his mother once, long ago, when she had informed him that sometimes people who saw everything else so clearly had skewed visions of themselves.

She had been so perfect, just standing there without motion, that he had been unable to resist the compulsion to be nearer to her, to break that stillness, impose upon that perfection. In her solitude, she had belonged to the moon and the forest, but he would not have that for long. He needed her too badly to relinquish what little claim he could stake on her heart. He knew he had some of it- she was too generous with her love and affection for it to be otherwise. And what he had, he would not give up, that much he knew with certainty.

So he had approached, and told her the truth he knew she needed to hear, taking her in his arms and reminding that moonlight, this forest, that she belonged in whatever measure she would accept to him, not they. The scent of her hair, he enjoyed dearly, almost as much as the press of her body against his as he cinched her waist in place with the corded muscle of his arms. Her head lolled back to rest on his shoulder, and she sighed softly, little more than the ghost of a sound over her lips.

She smiled at him, and he placed a chaste kiss on her temple. Though he was very much entertaining the notion of continuing his ministrations down her neck and shoulder- far less chastely, he might add- he knew it was neither the time nor the place. He had important things to ask her right now, after all.

Kaoru seemed to sense his intent, and he marveled at how well she could read him. It had always been thus, to an extent; certainly moreso than with other people, but now it was almost to the point where they scarcely needed words. The fact that so much had changed in the span of but two months might have alarmed him, but he was willing to accept the fact that she was extraordinary and leave it at that.

He loosened his hold, allowing both of them to sit, his back against a nearby stone and hers against his chest, before he spoke. He wasn't honestly quite sure how to ask the question he wanted to get at, so he settled for being as direct as possible. He had always been this way, and she seemed to understand the need for it, brusque as it could make him at times.

"What… do you plan to do? When all of this is over?" He felt her stiffen slightly, and try to shift her position to see his face, but he would not allow her- he was not sure he wanted her to see the uncertainty playing across the features there, and he was loath to relinquish even a measure of their contact. Instead, he loosened the ribbon that held her ponytail in place, laying it gently at his side before combing his fingers idly through her hair, his other arm still draped over her waist.

If anyone had told him a year ago that he would be in such a situation with a woman, he would have scoffed at them and left. Now, it still felt a little strange, but only if he allowed himself to think about it. If he just went with his instincts, nothing had ever felt quite so natural in his life. When they were not alone, he was still much the same gruff stoic he had always been, but none could deny that the fire in her eyes had spread to his, just as surely as sparks of it could be found in any of the others that had lived so long in her company.

So, too, could he slowly feel the hatred leeching out of his system, even as the cowardice went with it. This was what had him convinced that he needed her on some level, for there was no mistaking that she was largely responsible for this.

She took a while to answer, and for a moment, he was almost… apprehensive? "I… guess I never really thought about things that far ahead," she admitted slowly, and that he could understand. Their task was daunting; they had needed to devote all their energy to it, leaving precious little time for anything else. "I suppose I should return to Nottingham, perhaps take up my father's business… and keep being the Night Watchman."

Kenshin did not reply for a while, apparently enraptured by the fine, silken strands of ink-black hair twined around his fingers. In truth, he had not known what he was expecting of the answer, but he had been hoping it wasn't that. Still, he figured, Kaoru was not like him. She had always been more than willing to do what was right, selfless- what must be done. Doubtless, carrying on the traditions of the Watchman was one of those things. The very fact that such a person existed was the reason this rebellion was about to happen, if you thought about it a certain way.

"Kenshin?" she must have sensed that something was not sitting quite right with him, for she twisted so she was looking up at his face.

He smiled gently. "Hush," he replied quietly, regarding her with a steadiness that came of his own resolve. He knew the answer had not been the one he wanted. He had wished so dearly for her to say that she would accompany him back to his life in the palace, as prince, would stand by his side as he tried to rebuild the people's trust in the throne of Meiji. But he knew that what she would be doing was just as important, and also that no matter how many people had worn her cloak and hood in the past few months, she was uniquely suited to the task. There was something about her unerring desire to protect, not just those dear to her, but everyone, that he knew most people did not, could not possess. As much as he needed her, everyone else did too.

It would be his own small moment of emulation to let her go. An insignificant, infinitesimal moment of the selflessness that pervaded her very being, to silence his traitorous heart and allow her to depart his company, his little corruptions, for her own beautiful, solitary purity once more.

But not yet. He could not manage it quite at this moment. There was something too lovely about the way she looked at him with confusion, having heard his gentle command and not understood the reason for it. So he allowed himself the selfishness it took to lower his lips to her exquisite face, to brush them tenderly over her cheek, each closed eyelid, and finally her own rose-colored mouth.

She responded without hesitation, and he wondered vaguely if she had even the faintest inclination what she did to him. Her lips, her scent, her bright blue eyes, but most of all her indefatigable spirit.

Kenshin lost track of time as the two of them sat there, but eventually he knew her to be asleep. His arms loosened slightly, but he made no effort to get up. Instead, he took the opportunity to relax, and to speak. "I wish you would stay, Kaoru, but I cannot let you any more than you can allow yourself. I know what my duty is now; you have shown me that. Never have you shirked yours. I merely wish- no… wishes change nothing. We each have a part to play in this future you dream of, and I'll not run away from it." She stirred slightly, shifting against him, and he waited for her breathing to settle once more before he said something that might have surprised him, but didn't.

"…I love you." She could not answer, but preferred it that way. Either reciprocation or rejection would have torn him in twain, because nothing more than this night could ever be.

He fell asleep against that stone on Feast Day Eve, Kaoru's warmth against his chest and shoulders a more-than adequate substitute for the blankets he would have used at camp.

* * *

Kaoru woke to the first rays of dawn, somewhat surprised to discover that she was not in camp, but still at the lake. Then she remembered falling asleep against Kenshin, and though her face colored slightly, it was nothing against the brightness of the secret smile which lit her face. Today was the day; it would finally be all over, Shishio would be taken from the throne, and Katsura placed back on it where he belonged. Then she could go back to her village and-

And what, exactly? The question vanished the smile as swift as a magician, and Kaoru wondered at it. She'd visit the palace frequently, obviously; she had more than a few suggestions for the king, and now she knew that she was in a position to be heard.

But that was really all she was positioned to do, wasn't it? Petition the king. She wouldn't really belong there, no more than she had before. That was why she intended to reopen her father's shop, take up his trade in earnest. Somehow, the logic had seemed so much simpler the night before. Now, there was something distinctly wrong, and she felt it as keenly as she felt Kenshin's absence upon awakening.

But that was just it, wasn't it? It was so easy to think, simply sitting in each other's company as they had been, that it could always be such a way. The truth of the matter was, though, that she was a commoner, and he a prince. There would be so little to give them reason to even speak, let alone spend any amount of time with each other. He'd have to prepare to assume the throne, and take a wife- her heart sank to her toes, and she fought the instinct to be sick.

_Come on, Kaoru, this isn't the time to be thinking of this! You have an army to lead! _Now she really _was _going to be sick. The prospect was daunting to say the least, but she pushed everything from her mind and steeled herself.

She arrived back at camp to find Megumi organizing her medical supplies as calmly as possible. Katsura and Hiko were talking quietly near the center, Misao was clearly fretting about something. Yahiko was diligently practicing in one corner of the clearing.

"Where are the other three?" she asked Megumi, not really wishing to disturb anyone. The doctor looked up from her work momentarily, a small frown crossing her refined features.

"They've left," she replied slowly. "The masquerade is an all-day affair, and they wanted to arrive in enough time to figure out what their strategy would be."

Kaoru hid the crestfallen expression which threatened, giving a solemn nod instead. It was about time she prepared, also, and she took to giving each of her weapons a last check-over before donning the customary all-black costume of her lineage, leaving the mask loose around her neck for now.

* * *

The lines of men that assembled before Katsura gave him more hope than he had thought possible. While his nephew would be engaging the Usurper, he, Hiko, and Kaoru would be responsible for anchoring the main advance on the army, to prevent them from being called to reinforce the palace guard and killing the three men who had infiltrated there.

Though he was the king, the general of this army was the young woman herself, as he had reminded her as they marched to this very spot. She had seemed uncomfortable at best with the idea, but as he had pointed out, of everyone who could have led the men to fight, it was she and _only_ she who had not failed them yet. Hiko had abandoned his throne, Katsura had lost his, and Kenshin had not taken it back in the intervening three years of oppression. Only the Watchman, common-born though she might have been, had never once failed in what she promised. The black arrows had become symbols of unerring justice, and it had been the Watchman who had successfully rallied them all to be here, on this day, to retake what was theirs.

The command tents had been set up, and Katsura knew that his own presence would be an unexpected bolster to the morale of the troops. A king many had thought long dead, rising from the ashes to fight alongside the common people to retake the kingdom? It was the stuff of fairytales, and yet here he was.

So it was with a stern, but hopeful, expression on his face that the dethroned monarch of Meiji made his appearance on the scaffolding from which the troops would be issued their orders. The lines of men standing in place were not the perfectly straight, disciplined ones of the rank-and-file army, but each citizen soldier wore an expression of hardship-tempered determination, and he knew that the army's morale was poor. Not many below officer rank had escape unscathed from Shishio's tyranny, and they were all hoping for as little bloodshed as possible.

There was a ripple of silence as he made himself known, passing through the crowd until the entire group recognized him and grew silent. Most citizens were not so ignorant of politics as Kaoru had once been on purpose, and there was no denying that there was a fair amount of consistency in his line's appearance, so most of them would know who he was, if they could believe it.

"People of Meiji," he began in the voice he reserved for the battlefield, loud and commanding, "you have been done an injustice! A usurper sits on your throne and wields his power like a tyrant! Underneath his will, you have been brought lower than you ever deserved to be, and you were not alone. I, too, was imprisoned, but my chains were physical, my person given unto our oft-foes to the south. Like many of you, I lost hope, thought that there was no way I could or would survive.

But also like you, I was made to hope once more. I was rescued by a hand I had not expected, I was given a chance to take back what is mine, even as you are being given that chance. And our savior, my friends, is exactly the same person."

There was an expectant murmur in the crowd, and Katsura smiled. Now for the clincher. "I give you, the people of Meiji, your hope. Your hero, your savior- the Night Watchman!" With a grand gesture, Katsura beckoned Kaoru, who had turned white as a sheet with blotches of the most embarrassed scarlet he had ever seen, to ascend the platform as he had.

She shook her head furiously, but Hiko gave her a shove, and she reluctantly joined the king, to even louder applause. "That's not true," she insisted to him, quietly enough that nobody else could hear.

Katsura arched an imperious eyebrow. "Isn't it?"

An expectant silence once again fell over the crowd, and Katsura nudged Kaoru's shoulder, encouraging her to speak. It wasn't as though the girl had much of a choice, but she still looked reluctant, and her steps were hesitant. Still, he was proud of the fact that though quieter than his, her voice sounded strong as she began to address everyone present.

"I think His Majesty expressed it well when he described the kind of king Shishio has been," she started, and Katsura willed her to find that spark in herself which he well knew was there. "For almost three years, we have all suffered his taxes and tax collectors, watched as our families grew lean on less food than they needed. We have worked our hands and bodies to the bone, trying to simply survive while the lords and ladies in his sway have lived richly on the fruits of our labor. We have endured unspeakable agony in solemn silence, knowing that there was nothing we could do. We have lost hope."

There was some confusion when the crowd at last came to register that the voice issuing towards them was female, but it died swiftly as those who had known already silenced those who had not. Kaoru took the opportunity to drop her hood, and pulled down her mask, much as he heard she had done the first time she met Kenshin.

"I know this," she continued quietly, and the entire crowd strained to hear her in rapt silence. "Because I am one of you. I lost my father to Shishio's evil, and my home as well. I thought back then that if I could protect Nottingham, my hometown, that it would be enough. But then I met a man, one who had surely suffered just as much as I." Her voice gained in strength. "I met Crown Prince Kenshin, and in his company, I discovered that I could not simply limit myself to one town or a few people. I knew that all of Meiji needed to be freed.

Even now, that very same man and only two others march straight to the heart of Shishio's castle, intent on bringing the Usurper down to the level he belongs at. They fight, they risk their lives, so that we may have better ones, under just rule once more. How can we, who stand to benefit from these acts, do anything but the same? I, at least, know that I cannot.

We are the people of Meiji, and we are stronger than any tyrant could ever dream of being. I know; I have seen our resilience with my own eyes, time and time again. It is time that we remembered it, and remembered that there is still hope for us all. We must do as Kenshin does- we must fight for all that we hold dear, or risk losing it forever. So I ask you, citizens of Meiji… will you fight for what you love?"

There was a heartbeat of dead silence, and for a moment Katsura saw the fear flash across Kaoru's face. But in the next instant, a roar rose from the crowd, nearly deafening him with its volume, and the girl smiled grimly. "For the Watchman!" someone shouted, and Kaoru shook her head.

"No," she replied, "For Meiji!" With a forward thrust of her hand, the army of commoners turned as one, and began its march on the capitol.

* * *

_A/N: Hello again, all. I was highly amused by the fact that some of you were asking what exactly happened between Kenshin and Kaoru in the last chapter, and I'm going to say that what happened was whatever you want to have happened. I did not write it with the intention for them to have done anything more than rather lime-y kissing, but, well, you readers do have such imaginations sometimes. XD_

_At any rate, there will be loads of action next chapter, for anyone who was holding out for that, and I imagine the story will have no more than two or possibly three more chapters in total. We approach the end, my friends!_

_Please leave me a review, if you are so inclined. I hit 300 just a few days ago, and quite literally danced for happiness! I love you guys for being that awesome~ _


	23. Chapter 18: Battle and Bloodshed

Chapter 18: Battle and Bloodshed

* * *

_The Feast Day Coup, as it came to be known in popular parlance, was one of the least-bloody battles in Meiji history. This was not to say it was without atrocity, though, for surely civil war is truly the least civil kind of battle. Nothing that pits friends against friend and the loyalty towards a king and country against the loyalty to the people of that nation could ever be easy._

* * *

The battlefield was an ugly place, but not for the reasons Kaoru had quite expected. To the surprise of the rebel army, most of the king's soldiers had surrendered on the spot. In retrospect, it made a degree of sense- the enlisted would have been fighting their fathers and cousins and brothers in many cases, for a king most of them had never really believed in or at the very least one they had been long since disillusioned by. So no, she did not have to draw the blood of her fellow citizens today, but what she did have to do was going to be much harder.

She was going to have to lead her friends and what few army officers were strong enough against Shishio's expert lieutenants. The rest would be engaging at Katsura's command against the parts of the king's army that had chosen not to defect. Right now, it looked like her group was herself, a somewhat-grudging Hiko, Yahiko, Misao, and Megumi for support (medical, not moral, because that would be largely pointless), plus about twenty officers. In other words, not nearly enough, but it would have to do.

"They're coming, Kaoru." Hiko's voice was even, almost bored, but his eyes belied him, staring fixedly at a point on the horizon. She followed the trajectory of his gaze and landed on what he saw- several silhouettes, approaching in the distance.

"Looks like the fight's stacked against you, Watchman," came a familiar voice, and Kaoru whipped around, surprised to see none other than the Sheriff of Nottingham leaning against a pole of the recently set-up command tent, exhaling smoke.

"So it would seem," she replied coolly, not willing to show weakness in front of him. He may have helped them before, but there was no guarantee that he would do so now, and he might well be there to kill them all. She watched with wary eyes as he crushed the tobacco underneath his foot and drew his sword. She lifted her bow in warning, aiming squarely for his chest, but he simply smirked, jerking his head to indicate that she should look behind her.

Slowly, she turned, nothing that the approaching figures were now in range. A gigantic man took up much of the space the group occupied, a smaller man on his shoulder. Beside them walked a tall fellow with hair almost as high, an emaciated-looking man in a cape, and a man carrying an enormous turtle shell, plus about fifty plain soldiers behind them. "Yahiko, Misao… take care of the one with the strange hair. Hiko-"

"I've got the shelled one and the thin guy," he replied before she could finish, and she nodded. That would work, though it left her with the giant and his handler.

"Hmm… guess I'm with you then. Try not to slow me down, Watchman," Saito drawled, and Kaoru bristled.

"Slow you down? You're lucky I didn't shoot you, _sheriff,_" she replied bitingly, and he chuckled. That was probably as much of an accord as the two of them were going to get, so they both accepted the terms with a mutual nod of understanding before turning to face their oncoming assailants.

* * *

The Feast Day Masquerade was as much of a spectacle as one should expect from Shishio, but today at least, Kenshin knew that this tendency worked to his advantage. It made it relatively easy for himself, Aoshi, and Sano to work their way into the palace itself, as the guards were making merry with the rest of the people. An inebriated guard was unlikely to try stopping anyone dressed for the occasion, and indeed outwardly, all of them were.

Of course, each man had more battle-ready clothing underneath the loosely-fitted shirts and trousers meant for dancing as opposed to combat. As similar as the two could be sometimes, this was not such an instance.

It seemed that the majority of the crowd remained ensconced in blissful ignorance of the larger battle raging outside the city walls, and Kenshin couldn't decide if this was more amusing or disgusting. His general distaste for such events pushed him towards the latter.

They made it as far as the general entrance hall before Aoshi stiffened minutely beside him, and Kenshin picked out a young man, perhaps fifteen or so, weaving through the crowd directly towards them, uniquely unmasked and with an unnatural smile plastered over his face. Kenshin was immediately suspicious, and rightly so, for the boy stopped before the three of them and bowed. "Ah, Your Highness, forgive my tardiness. His Majesty awaits further in. Please allow me to conduct you to him."

Kenshin glanced to Aoshi, who nodded. It seemed they had been somehow discovered, but then he would not have put it beyond Shishio to anticipate such a plan as this without evidence, though he probably wouldn't have been able to guess at the peasant army's numbers.

The boy led them through the entrance hall, and into the throne room, where the kings of Meiji had been holding audiences since the country's founding. Seated on the uppermost throne, courtesan clinging to his arm, was the Usurper himself, and Kenshin suppressed the wave of angry ki that threatened to roll through the room at the mere sight of a traitor where his uncle belonged.

"Ah, if it isn't the prodigal prince and friends," the king intoned dryly, raising a sculpted brow as though somehow perplexed. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's entertainment!"

There was raucous applause, and only then did Kenshin note that the guests were standing uniformly off to the sides, leaving the large central space of the throne room completely empty. Just what was going on here? Shishio seemed not only to have expected them, but to have planned something for them as well. "A rhapsody in three rounds, everyone. Tonight's show begins with this man; a monk from the land of the Nameless god!" The Usurper's voice thundered about the room, and a man, bulky, tan, and stern-faced, stepped forwards.

Sano muttered something under his breath that sounded like a name, but Kenshin couldn't be sure over the din of the crowd. At about the same time as everything became clear to him, Shishio elucidated it for anyone who still didn't quite understand. "So, which one of you masked vigilantes wants to start the night off with a bang, hmm?" It seemed like his time on the throne had only further unhinged Shishio, but Kenshin saw little choice.

He was about to step forward when Sano placed a hand on his shoulder. With a shake of his head, the taller man indicated his decision, and Kenshin nodded, allowing his friend to step forward in place of himself.

"Anji," Sano greeted in a low voice, and the monk appeared to acknowledge this even as he ignored the crowd.

"Sanosuke." No further words were exchanged, and Shishio made a truncated gesture, causing someone to ring a gong, and the match has officially begun.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Sano knew he wasn't doing so well. Anji was just as strong as he remembered from all those matches in the last month and a half, and for that reason, his pugilist of a student is nursing two cracked ribs and several less damaging hits that will still hurt like Hell tomorrow.

Because unlike his friends, Sano cannot contemplate the possibility that there might just be no tomorrow, or at the very least he will not allow himself to. He knew, did not contemplate or consider or ponder but _knew_, that they would succeed, and that he would survive. To know anything else would be to betray a promise he made to the woman of his dreams, and there was no way Sano was going to disappoint her. Kanryuu Takeda had done that already, and he was nothing like that sorry excuse for a human being.

He grinned to himself as he remembered that particular moment.

_The two of them were strolling through the forest, ostensibly for Megumi to gather plants. Since the first time he had offered to accompany her the previous winter, it had become something of a habit of theirs, and by now he had a rather extensive knowledge of medicinal plants, though mostly he just carried the wide, flat basket and held it for her to place things into._

_ Of late though, there had been far fewer plants gathered and far more hijinks engaged in. At that moment, Sano had just chased down Megumi, who was trying very hard to pretend as though she actually wanted to collect plants this time. His free hand was wrapped snugly about her waist, his lips at the juncture between her throat and jaw. She tried vainly to push him off, but it was a futile effort when neither of them really wanted him to stop what he was doing._

_ "Sano?" The sound of her voice, not the coy tone she usually used or even the bored one she adopted when expressing false disinterest, stopped him, and he straightened to face her. She sounded… saddened. _

_ "What's bothering you, Megumi?" He rarely used her full name, but as was his habit, it was this and not pet names that left his tongue when they were alone. She had always liked the way it sounded when he used it, as though her very name were something secret and special between them. A frivolous thought, but she couldn't really help herself. He knew it, too._

_ She wouldn't meet his searching gaze, and he frowned. "Promise me you'll come back. I don't want to be left alone again. It would be much worse, this time."_

_ Sano had let out a breathy chuckle, and Megumi had turned to face him fully, ready to be indignant that he was laughing at her genuine concern. But when she caught sight of his face, the man was smiling so rakishly, reckless brash confidence practically oozing from his person, that she found her breath quite caught in her throat. "No need to worry. I can't well stay away from you for long. Love's a funny thing that way."_

_ It had taken her a few seconds, but Megumi had thrown her arms around his neck then, and he dropped the basket to swing her around in a circle, her murmured 'I love yous' whispered breathily into his ear._

No, there was absolutely no way he could die now. He was too damn happy to die, end of story. Which was why when Anji rushed him next, Sano took the blow like the stone wall of a man they had called his father, and had enough steam left to deliver one in retaliation. Anji was forced backward a few paces along the smooth stone floor, holding his stomach in obvious discomfort.

Something changed in the dynamic between them then, and from that moment out, the fight looked more and more like a contest between equals and less like an idiot trying to blow down a mountain. Their exchanges were furious and quick, the crowd growing near-reverentially silent and the space instead filling with only the sounds of moving fabrics and the thuds of fists on flesh or the slightest of whistles as they met only empty air.

Sano was still taking more hits, but he also seemed to be better able to withstand them, which left the two slowly wearing away at each other until both were breathing only with labored intensity. Sano had obliterated the bones in his left hand, but he was fairly certain that one of Anji's broken ribs had partially punctured a lung, because the monk was starting to cough blood.

"Once… more," the monk uttered between breaths. "Show me that teaching you was not a waste of time. Show me your resolve."

Sano inclined his head, smile still plastered haphazardly over his face. "You want my resolve, old man? Come and get it!" With a roar, the pugilist charged the monk, and their outstretched fists met in midair, sending shockwaves through the corresponding arms. Sano had timed his blow just perfectly though, and even as he swayed unsteadily on his feet, Anji collapsed to the ground, unable to move.

The gong sounded, and Sano stepped back to stand beside his friends. "Your turn," he told the both of them jokingly, but his torso hurt to badly to allow him the chuckle that might otherwise have accompanied it.

* * *

A few servants darted forth and moved Anji. Shishio, who had been looking on with a satisfied smirk that had slowly morphed to an expression of feigned disinterest, appeared at last to rouse himself enough to speak. "Ah, so the insurrectionists have conquered the foreign beast. So be it! Let them face Meiji's finest!"

Several disbelieving murmurs went through the crowd as Soujiro stepped forward, and the few that knew what the boy was capable of shook their heads. Surely, the resistance was finished now, for this boy was King Shishio's hand-selected, personally-trained Second. Even his participation was an indication that the Usurper was taking the threat seriously enough to crush it with his own right hand.

"Let this be done with honor then, or as much honor as can be given such a sham," Aoshi murmured, and drew both his kodachi before stepping forth into the ring. With that, it was official: this was a bid for the throne on behalf of the last man of the three, and as was proper, he was sending his second to duel Shishio's. In Meiji tradition, unless one party had a legitimate claim otherwise, this could legally decide who had the rights to whatever was being fought over. In this case, that was the country itself.

It was doubtful that Shishio would roll over quietly even if Soujiro lost, and Aoshi knew this. He also knew, however, that Kenshin's retaking of his family's throne had to be done the right way, or any supporters of the Usurper would have grounds for legal challenge of it. Even if this would not be enough, then, it was highly necessary.

"We meet again, Lord Shinomori," the boy greeted with that vacant smile of his. "I must admit, when I found you in the company of Miss Misao, I was a bit confused. You were supposed to be dead, after all, but all this time, you were hiding in the woods with Lord Kenshin… how interesting."

"If you are trying to goad me into some form of angry response, it will not work," Aoshi informed him tonelessly.

"Of course not," Soujiro agreed amicably. "You and I are much the same, that way." The gong sounded again, and Aoshi barely had time to take his stance before the boy rushed him with supernatural speed. _Ki magic… self-enhancement. _The most common type of ki manipulation for fighters such as themselves, and one that Aoshi and Kenshin used as well. The boy seemed to have near-prodigy-level control of it considering his age and his speed.

Indeed, Aoshi reflected as a wound blossomed on his shoulder, this must surely be the case.

* * *

Kaoru leapt out of the way of one of the giant's massive limbs, moving aside as Saito swooped in to slash at the man's arm before it could be once again lifted from the ground. The two coordinated surprisingly well together, which was good, given the skill of the opponents.

Hiko was a form of mastery unto himself. He was currently engaged with both the flying man and the blind one, and had yet to suffer a scratch, though his opponents were tenacious enough that neither was yet terribly damaged either. Misao and Yahiko were yelling something at the man with tall hair, who seemed to enjoy taunting the two of them. She merely hoped that they wouldn't lose their heads and end up doing something foolish, but she knew that Aoshi had been drilling Misao on her skills quite persistently, and Kaoru personally had been no less harsh on Yahiko.

She was proud of him, truthfully. The boy was coming along very well in his training, and she had a feeling that he would be able to learn her entire style if she was of a mind to teach it. Presently, his bow was slung over his back and he was using his knives, darting under the broom-man's guard with precision.

Her gaze was averted though, when Saito skidded backwards under the force of a blow from the giant, the old man on his shoulder cackling madly as the sight. Frowning, Kaoru moved in to fill the space left by her partner's absence, slicing deeply at one of the oversized man's thumbs and causing him to roar with pain and buffet her to the side.

Tucking into herself so that she might roll instead of sprawl, Kaoru sprang up on the balls of her feet and unslung her own bow, nocking a midnight-black arrow to it and drawing back, making the most of the distance that had been placed between herself and the large lieutenant.

Saito was back in the fight, and Kaoru knew she had some time. Better make it count. Taking a deep breath, she reached for the wells of ki power at her disposal and charged the projectile with it, giving the shaft of the arrow a blue-white glow that was a sure sign of magic at work. Unlike most people, her magic was not of self-enhancement (though she could increase her speed and strength with it, she rarely did), but more the art of Southern magicians. Mostly the alteration of weapons and objects, like her arrows, for better accuracy and piercing properties.

Exhaling deliberately, she let fly with the arrow, willing it to find its mark.

* * *

_A/N: Hey guys! Sorry this chapter is so short; I've been having writer's block in the worst way. Please excuse any typos- it's been a while since I've had a beta reader and school is frying my brain. I shall make efforts to correct this chapter at a later date. For now, I hope you enjoyed and please leave a review. Only one more to go!_

_Also, just a random note: Sano has to be favorite character to write. I get to use all my cheesy lines and silliness on him._


	24. Chapter 19: Vitriol and Victory

Chapter 19: Vitriol and Victory

* * *

The kid was fast, Aoshi had to give him that. And indeed, it was nearly impossible to detect the characteristic flare of ki magic that appeared whenever someone with that skill launched an attack. It was almost, _almost_ as though he were not consciously using it, and this made him hard to read.

To the outside observer, the battle belonged entirely to Soujiro. He was largely unscathed, while Aoshi was bleeding already from several wounds, blood soaking into his clothes at his left shoulder, right hip, and clavicle. Numerous smaller cuts decorated the both of them, but the older man, unlike the younger, had seen enough of real battle to know that it was far from yet decided.

"I wouldn't have thought the legendary House Shinomori to be so weak," the Usurper's apprentice commented in his usual falsely-cheerful tone. Aoshi did not reply; he felt no need to gratify the obvious barb with a reaction of any kind. The boy was strong, and what was worse, he had nothing in the way of a discernible conscience, but that meant very little to the stern Second that served as his opponent.

It would have, once. Perhaps had they met under these conditions a year ago, Aoshi would have accepted the fact that he was going to be defeated by the monster that Shishio had made when he could have been making a Second. But no longer was he so willing to accept what he once would have called fact and left within the file in his mind called 'indisputable.' But he had since learned a great number of things, among them that if one did not dispute the indisputable, it would only remain so. Sometimes, though, sometimes what seemed indisputable was only undisputed, and occasionally the only real way to tell the difference was to try and see what happened.

This realization was a gift his friends had given him, and the taciturn man knew that without them he would never have come to such a crucial realization. For though he had never in his loyalty stopped believing that Kenshin deserved to retake what was his, so too had he thought that perhaps he was fighting a losing battle. He had simply believed his duty to be continuing to fight that battle until he died. Hope had never entered into the equation; it was far too illogical an emotion.

Or so he had thought. Aoshi crossed his kodachi in front of his chest, absorbing the impact of Soujiro's blade and pushing back. The boy leapt clear and recovered, but surprisingly, the blue-eyed man chose to press the advantage, and his long strides covered the gained distance in little time at all. His opponent showed faint traces of surprise, and in doing so forgot to mask his ki, meaning that his attempted counterattack was easily-dodged.

On the offensive, Aoshi was doing much better than before, and a scissoring blow caught Soujiro's chest- not as deeply as it had been meant to, but enough to draw serious blood. That put them about even in terms of time remaining before the blood loss would cause either to pass out, probably.

For a split second, the boy's impassive mask cracked, and he displayed some amalgamation of shock and fury at the wound. "How? How are you able to do this? I'm stronger than you…"

Aoshi personally thought this fact was highly-debatable, but he wouldn't bother to correct it. "You never learned what it means to be a Second," he replied simply, and would not elaborate. What he meant by this was relatively simple. Despite being Shishio's underling, and despite fighting _for _him, Soujiro had never been taught what the most important thing about being a Second was… and for that reason, he would never win.

Both disengaged at the same time and stepped back, only to charge forward again a second later. Aoshi stepped out of the way of the incoming blow, slamming the hilt of one of his swords into Soujiro's stomach. The young man doubled over, and Aoshi brought the other hilt down on the back of his head, hard enough to knock him out, but not so forcefully as to permanently damage him.

Being a Second was not only about fighting, about sacrifice. It was about being so devoted that your First's wishes were your own as well, and that the exercise of his will was second to nothing. Not pain, not vengeance, not an imaginary creed. This, Aoshi had learned long ago.

* * *

Kaoru's arrow struck true, burying itself into the shoulder not of the giant they were fighting, but the old man perched at the juncture between his neck and arm. The ki-enhanced force of the projectile was enough to knock him from where he sat, and he fell, the giant struggling to catch him before he hit the ground. The distraction was enough for Saito to move in and lay several good slashes on the tender area behind the colossus's knee.

The creature managed to catch its partner, but roared in agony at the freely-bleeding wounds it accumulated in the process. The old man was doing even less well, pulling weakly at the arrow embedded solidly in his flesh. _Don't do that, _Kaoru willed him silently, _you'll just bleed out. _All things considered, she could still not bring herself to wish death on her opponents. She knew that Saito had no such reservations, so she knew she'd have to keep an eye on things if she wished to save the lives of these two, that they might have a fair trial.

She took the opportunity presented by the general chaos to rush closer, stowing her bow and drawing her twin knives again, this time able to get closer because of the distraction provided by her earlier arrow and Saito's persistent cuts. She didn't see the glint of comprehension in the old man's eyes, and the wind whistled far too loudly in her ears for her to hear the subsequent command to the giant.

Saito heard it, though, and though Kaoru would not know it just then, the impact of his shoulder driving into her stomach would save her life. It sent her most unexpectedly to the ground, and Saito took the impact of the gargantuan fist, which propelled him a good fifty feet behind her.

Dazed, she stood and took quick stock of the situation, gasping sharply when she caught sight of the sheriff's unmoving form in the distance. "Saito…" Had he really just taken a blow for her sake? That was something she would not have expected out of him, not in a thousand years. Gritting her teeth, the black-cloaked woman swung back around to face her opponents, the old man cackling wildly at his victory.

What was that thing Saito was always saying? _Aku soku zan… a swift death to evil. _She couldn't promise death, but… there was no way she was letting such an act go unpunished.

* * *

Hiko moved smoothly to one side, well out of the range of the fool who'd dived at him from the sky. The man's reward was a crippling blow to the back as he passed, and unable to re-ascend, he crashed most unceremoniously to the ground, bleeding freely from the deep slash across his spine and ribs. Not quite fatal, unless starving yourself that much made your system weaker than a normal person's, which it most likely did.

The king's brother was not terribly concerned either way. His nephew may have expressed a desire not to kill Shishio but let him stand a public trial for his crimes, but frankly Hiko thought the result would probably be the same anyway. The public would demand no less than the man's death for the suffering he had inflicted upon them, and to give them anything less would not endear the king to any of them.

This was why he didn't bother with politics. If someone tried to kill him, he returned the favor. Plain, simple, balanced. Balance was all the Nameless asked for, and it was something Hiko was willing to give. Spare the innocent, not the guilty. It certainly made decisions a great deal easier, but he knew also that it was not the sort of code a king should have. They needed to tend towards benevolent, and he was far too neutral. One of many reasons why he'd let the world think he was dead and left his throne to his brother.

The one having been dealt with for the moment, Hiko turned to the other. The blind man was a much more skilled opponent anyway, not that this meant much to Hiko. He'd spent too many years honing the deadliest combat art in the world to the edge of perfection to lose to anyone, plain and simple. This was why he was not charging the palace with the others. So much power used at his own whim would disrupt the balance. He had agreed not to make history when he'd given up his claim to this country. Even helping as he was constituted a bit more than he would have liked, but he could not abandon entirely those he cared about. He was still human, after all.

The blind man let off a smoke bomb, effectively canceling Hiko's sight. As though he needed it. Still, it did put them on closer ground, even if the gap was too wide to be bridged by this act alone. Raising his sword, Kenshin's uncle parried the incoming blow from the left, then flared his ki aura with the intent to stun. It worked less well than he would have thought; perhaps this man was used to sensing them. Still, it did cause him to stumble, and with that sound, Hiko knew exactly where he was, and the rest was as simple as following through.

When the smoke cleared and his opponent lay dead before him, he noted that the largest battle was not progressing entirely in their favor. Kaoru stood alone before the giant and his master, Saito a ways off and unmoving. Hiko treaded over to the other man and checked his pulse. He'd live, but not without a long and rather painful recovery. What must have been a blunt blow had broken several ribs, which were like as not applying very painful pressure on his lungs. Had the injured party been any smaller- say, Kaoru-sized- they would most likely have punctured a lung and died.

_So, girl, what are you going to do now? _Hiko wondered, observing the scene before him with interest.

* * *

Shishio sighed, the theatrical exhalation of the long-suffering bastion of civilization amongst barbarians. Nothing could have been further from the truth, of course. He enjoyed the violence of a deathmatch more than any other single person in the room, and thus far he had been sorely disappointed. Anji might die, but he very much doubted it, and Soujiro, useless boy, would take no more than three days or so to recover from a massive headache and some flesh wounds. It seemed that if one wanted something done right, one really did have to do it oneself.

That thought firmly in mind, he made eye contact with the remaining masked figure, rising with dignity from the throne he had occupied, perched like a cormorant overseeing the dominion that was his with veiled interest, for all the world unaffected by the dealings of mere mortals.

It was all about impressions when it came down to it. The drama of the moment was something he was both consciously aware of and manipulated to his own benefit. The sweep of his fine robes over the ground behind him, the utter boredom etched over his aristocratic features, definable even through the bandages that decorated his face more astutely than any mere mask. His bearing was upright, his figure imposing, his presence a source of awe and fear- the two things that had kept him so long in power when none but he truly wished it so.

The look he gave the would-be claimant to his throne was nothing short of disdainful, but still he descended from his dais, moving to meet his opponent on the man's own ground. "Come now; surely it is time you showed the audience your face, is it not?" He spoke in a drawl, precisely controlled, effortlessly bored in tone.

Kenshin, or rather the man he knew to be Kenshin but the crowd had yet to see unmasked, narrowed his eyes behind the cloth that covered his features, but complied, and a few scattered gasps ran through the crowd as the distinctive golden irises glared defiance at the king. Coupled with that red hair, it could be none other. "So… a coward stands before a king and demands his recompense, is that it? Very well; your servants have won you the right to challenge me, and to die by a higher hand than you deserve." Really, Shishio just wanted to rip the man to pieces right now, but these things had to be done properly, his dignity reclaimed in front of the assembled, who had all seen the miserable failure of those beneath him.

So saying, the Usurper-king drew his blade and leveled it at the challenger, who for his own part merely stood in stony silence, waiting for the signal. The crowd was holding its breath, not really sure what to make of what had in fact been a very shocking sequence of developments indeed. An almost unbearable stillness descended, and unless one looked very closely for the telltale rise and fall of their breaths, the two men who had staked claim on the throne of Meiji might well have seemed to be statues, exquisite pieces of art both fearsome and breathtaking, the tension of a taut bowstring etched into every line of their bodies.

Then the gong-ringer remembered his job, and silence and stillness alike shattered.

* * *

"Gah! Stop moving, ya stupid broom-head!" The shout was Misao's, and juvenile as she knew it was, it made her feel a whole lot better. The fact was, this guy and his stupid-weird swords were a huge pain, and frankly she and Yahiko both were getting tired of it. She hurled another knife only to have it deflected by the absurdly-curving blade he carried, and she used a word under her breath that Aoshi didn't know she knew.

Apparently it got Yahiko's attention, though, because he did a rather comical double-take before blocking an attack with crossed knives. He had no time to comment though, because at the moment, broom-head decided it would be a fantastic idea to keep them both on their toes with a flurry of attacks from that unpredictable blade of his. He was taunting them, of course, but neither paid him much heed, choosing instead to focus on the rapid movement necessary to ensure their lives. Both were far from incompetent fighters, but this guy was good, there was no getting around that.

He'd introduced himself at some point, but they hadn't paid much attention. Currently, Misao thought he might have said his name was Chin, and Yahiko was pretty convinced that he'd said Sho, not that they cared. Mostly, he was Broom-head, and they were increasingly frustrated.

The volley finally stopped, both of them sporting a few more cuts and Yahiko a deep gash for their trouble. As of yet, neither had managed to land a significant blow on Sho/Chin/Broom-head. "That does it," Yahiko complained loudly. "Misao, I think we need to use the attack."

"What? Yahiko, you know we haven't got it all the way figured out yet!" Misao honestly wanted to use it, too, but frankly… well, she'd wanted to use it somewhere Lord Aoshi would see. Not that this was what was stopping her at the moment (she was far from _that_ impractical). It also happened to run them a substantial risk of injury, and they weren't exactly in great shape right now.

Over the past few months, while the others had been off saving the country and whatnot, Misao and Yahiko had decided that they were sick and tired of being left behind by their stronger allies, and made the determination that somewhere in amongst all their other training, they were going to work on fighting as a team, and come up with some form of attack that complimented this. After several grievous injuries that mostly involved someone's aim being off and someone else getting stuck with a knife or practice arrow or something, they had been almost there a couple nights before now. Unfortunately, 'almost there' did not constitute battle-readiness, but even Misao had to admit that their other options were limited.

"…Okay. Right. Let's do it!" This particular version of the plan involved a great deal of personal risk to Misao, but it depended more than anything on Yahiko. Her job was to rush the assailant and keep him busy. Her control over ki magic wasn't great, but she did use it to make herself a little faster, and she put all she had into her charge, ducking and weaving under the repeated strikes of the opponent's sword. _So far, so good._

As per the plan, she got under his guard and too close for his comfort as fast as she could, forcing him to direct his focus solely at her and lose track of Yahiko. Which was fine, because right now he wasn't attacking. Her goal then, wasn't to significantly maim or injure, but to distract, and she threw her punches as fast and hard as she could, not really caring where they landed or if they did. Each was blocked or dodged, and her knuckles were splitting at the repeated abuse (he blocked with the business end of his sword a few times, too), but she was impairing his view of Yahiko.

She felt rather than saw the blade sweep behind her, to try and stab at her back, and she knew the absurdly-coiffed individual thought he had won. _Please, Yahiko, please be there, _she thought to herself. The timing was always the hardest part. Knowing she'd be dead meat if she didn't move now, Misao ducked, hitting the ground hard and rolling away. From the corner of her eye, she saw the arrow that had been aimed right for her back, hidden from view by her person. The idea was that by the time she moved, the arrow would be too close to dodge, but she knew that she had moved too early because of the sword.

"Oh no…" she mumbled, even as the weird guy spotted the arrow and went to move. Misao shot a glance at Yahiko, but he was focused intently on the arrow. For a split second, nothing happened, but then she saw understanding light his face, and there was a burst of light. Whipping her head around, Misao stared in shock at the plain arrow that Yahiko had shot from his bow. It was now traveling much faster, and she knew the Broom-head wouldn't be able to dodge it. It punctured his sword-arm with enough force to send him to the ground, and Misao just knew that there was no way he'd be using that arm again.

It was at about that time that she lost consciousness, but not before one last thought had registered in her mind. _Yahiko… used ki magic. _

* * *

The sound of Shishio's mad laughter rebounded off the halls of the throne room, and Kenshin wondered for a moment if he would ever fight a sane man again. Still, just as with Enishi, the Usurper's madness made him unpredictable, and thus more dangerous. The marble floors were by now acquiring a slick red sheen, and though not all of the blood was Kenshin's, the majority of it certainly was.

The battle itself had started evenly enough, but over time it became evident that Shishio drew his strength not from necessity as Kenshin did, but because he enjoyed the suffering of his enemies. He knew how to cut to get the most pain and blood loss he could without actually incapacitating, and for that reason though it was Shishio who had lost the use of his left and non-dominant arm, it as Kenshin who was in near-blinding agony.

He knew he'd have to find some way to turn his opponent's sadism to his advantage, but Kenshin was at a loss as to what that might be. Maybe if he could just endure for long enough, Shishio would grow bored and slip up? No, he'd probably pass out and forfeit his life before he could last long enough for that. He'd just have to be prepared to take the painful hits and make each one count. The fact that the Usurper was not yet intent on killing him as quickly as possible would be his mistake.

* * *

Justice… what a strange concept that was. Kaoru was no philosopher; she could not claim to fully understand what was exactly right and wrong in every situation. All she had to rely on were her feelings. Maybe these men deserved to die for their crimes, maybe they did not. All she knew was that she could not be the one to kill them. Neither, though, could she let what they had wrought be passed by without consequence. For the sake of preventing further harm, she had to act, and she had to mean it.

Kenshin was even now risking his life to save them all from Shishio. The least she could do was ensure that each and every one of his friends would be alive to greet him when he succeeded.

She was acutely aware of her body right now, as adrenaline rushed through her system, propelling her to act faster than her mind could truly decide how. Luckily, she was in control, and knew not to let that urge compel her to throw caution to the wind. The ground was solid beneath her feet, her knives tangible weights in her hand, the steady flow of air to and from her lungs her anchor to this moment.

She closed her eyes for the briefest of seconds, but it seemed to stretch into an eternity as her heart thundered in her ears, her drawn oxygen a haggard intake as her muscles coiled. _Kenshin… _she could not help but think of him in this moment, and even as her eyes opened, the lingering image in her mind was of his face, and a soothing warmth, much like the sensation of being pressed to his chest, spread through her. The slowness of time seemed to persist, and even as she took stock of the opposition, the path was clear as day to her sight. She knew what she had to do, and without hesitation she steeled herself to do it. This was for him, for the safety of his kingdom and the people who would soon call him Majesty.

Without discernible warning, Kaoru broke into a sudden sprint, dashing forward at startling speed, hurtling so fast towards the giant almost as if she were intent on slamming into him. At the last second, though, she gathered her legs beneath her and sprang, catching a deft hold onto the giant's bicep, not pausing in the motion long enough for him to react. She was soon standing on his shoulder, and even as he swung his head to look at her, raising the opposite great arm to swat her away, she knew she had won. Her knives found his eyes, and she was barely able to leap clear as he let out a roar and toppled backwards.

He would not die, but he would live blinded, much less capable of harming anyone else, and for now, he was incapacitated enough to be taken in for a proper trial. The smaller man's legs were broken in the fall, so the same was true of him. Over the distance between them, Kaoru made eye contact with Hiko, and read a form of approval there that, despite the gore covering her clothes and the blood spattered on her face and the weariness that tugged at her very bones, brought a smile to her lips.

* * *

The men at the center of the room moved far too quickly for most to keep track of, let alone really _see _anything. They could hear well enough though, and the Usurper's laughter chilled even the most hardened of them to the bone, punctuated with the clanging of parried blows. Occasionally, they would catch sight of a slicked crescent of blood flying off the blade of a sword, but it was impossible to discern to whom it had once belonged.

Only infrequently would the two men pause, usually after one or both had sustained a grievous wound of some sort. As far as any could tell, the match had evened, and both men were in haggard shape, crimson soaking into their fine clothes before the fabrics became oversaturated and it dripped to the floor.

A practiced eye, like the one that belonged to Aoshi Shinomori, though, was indeed able to follow the motions, and what he saw was telling. For Shishio, this entire engagement was still a match born of hatred and the desire to see his opponent hurt and killed, but not so for Kenshin. Once, not too long ago, it would have been, and Aoshi knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that such a match would have ended with the death of his First.

Kenshin was not the same man he had been a year and some months ago, though, and for him, it was no longer about death. It was about lives- the lives of all the people that had suffered under this man. Gone was the rage and the hate that had once laid men low with a single glance from the caustic golden eyes. It had been replaced with a determination born of something else. Aoshi may not have dared utter it aloud, but it was obvious to him that somewhere along the way, that hated had flickered out, to be replaced instead with love- for his nation, for his people, for his family and friends, but most of all for the daring young woman that had extinguished his vitriol in the first place.

Alone of all those people in that room, Aoshi knew what the outcome was going to be. Even as he watched Kenshin sheathe his sword and drop into his drawing stance, even as he watched the sadistic grin on Shishio's face brighten, even as he noted the look of absolute confidence on the faces of his courtesan and his steward, the Crown Prince's Second knew that all three of them were mistaken. A man so weak as to succumb to his hatred and his sadism would not be able to stand against a man who sought only to right his wrongs.

The glint of steel, the scrape of blades, and the wet, slick sound of a blade meeting flesh. Silence. And at last, the sight Aoshi had been waiting to see for three years: the Usurper crumpling to the ground. The shocked quiet persisted for what seemed like hours, but somewhere in the crowd, applause began, and after that, it was lost to absolute pandemonium.

* * *

_A/N: Hey guys! So that's the last official chapter. There is an epilogue, which is getting posted at the same time as this, so don't worry; I didn't leave you quite that high and dry. ^^ I tried to keep the fight scenes short-ish, since there were so many of them. The reason things are chopped up is to hopefully give the impression of contemporaneousness, so hopefully it worked out okay._

* * *

Reviews desired but never required!


	25. Epilogue: Inklings and Inches

Epilogue: Inklings and Inches

* * *

_The immediate aftermath of the Feast Day Coup was chaotic, and in truth there was much more to be done than any of those who had participated were quite prepared for. Even so, the night of the actual event was spared, made a true Feast Day celebration. A nation, joyous that at least the iron fist that had loomed over them for three years was at least gone, launched into an entire week of revelry and celebration that ceased neither during the day or at night. _

_ Those nobles found relatively innocent of Shishio's crimes opened their coffers freely to feed the people they had been compelled to starve with the king's taxes, and the Crown itself fed everyone else. The first night, as the members of his strange little band filed into the palace, Crown Prince Kenshin met each of them with gratitude that flowed freely at last from the bottom of his heart. _

_ Those that had been injured were treated by their resident physician, and the lot of them spent the night- bar one public appearance to reassure the people that they all still lived- in relative solitude and the pleasure of each others' company. All knew that they would have few such opportunities anymore, and all wished to hold onto the camaraderie that had developed as much as possible. The wine and stories flowed freely, and all were able to forget at least a little the tasks of the next day, injured though many of them might have been._

_ The ensuing weeks were a mess of political arrangements. Most of the nobility wanted to make Kenshin king, as he was the one who had defeated Shishio in the duel, but he personally was having none of that, and they accepted Katsura readily enough. The moment he was given his administrative powers back, the first thing he did was name Kenshin his official successor, just so there would be no ambiguity about such matters in the future. From there, their first task to repair their nation was to remove Shishio's taxes and clean his supporters from the ranks of nobility. The Usurper and his allies all faced trials, and all were condemned to prison for their crimes. Only a few went quietly; the others fought, but all were eventually incarcerated._

_ It was in the midst of hunting down those who had tried to escape that the king and his heir went about the much quieter but equally-important business of selecting advisors and rewarding those who had served faithfully._

* * *

Kaoru had been living in a guest wing at the palace for about a month now, having decided along with the others to stay on as long as they were needed to help keep the peace. In that short time, it seemed like so many things had happened: Shishio's trial amongst them.

Perhaps less momentous but much happier was Sano's proposal to Megumi, which the doctor accepted tearfully and with a happiness that she had clearly never felt. Kaoru could only watch with joy and twinges of envy, the latter of which were chased away as swiftly as she could. They deserved their happiness.

Soon after that, Kenshin had begun the hunt for advisors, nobles to keep at his side for both protection and counsel, and somehow with this move, she knew her time here was limited. It was like something out of a strange dream, the way people, even nobility, bowed to her and called her "Lady Watchman" or Lady Kaoru. The fact that she had no title at all did not seem to deter them from this, no matter how many times she explained. Her friends were enduring similar treatment, though most of them were handling it a bit more gracefully than she would have thought possible.

With a promise to return for the wedding, Hiko had taken off a few days ago, taking Soujiro with him. While he had said point-blank that Kenshin was the only heir to his style, he thought that perhaps the boy might benefit from the lifestyle he could offer. Privately, Kaoru thought that perhaps the friar would be lonely in the forest by himself, having been most decidedly not alone for a number of years now, but she could not deny that Hiko's firm hand would be good for Soujiro, who to her just seemed in need of guidance.

Yahiko stuck pretty close to her these days, as did Misao, and Kaoru was grateful for their company. It seemed to her that the three of them were the most out-of-place here, the two forest children and the fletcher's daughter from Nottinghamshire. Though Sano claimed not to like it (and she believed him), he was still the son of a noble, and Megumi had spent a large portion of her life living in this world.

For the moment, though, the two of them were off on some errand or another, leaving her very much alone to wander the palace, trying to avoid anyone for fear of being bowed to.

"You know," said a voice from behind her, "most people would be basking in the peace they were responsible for." She whirled around, to notice Kenshin leaning casually against the opposite wall, dressed the part of a Meiji prince, all the finery one would expect, but with a sword at his side.

"Then perhaps you should be somewhere basking," she replied with the hint of a smile. She had seen him precious few times since the night after the fight. He was either recovering or attending to business most of the time, and she found she missed him terribly. Still, it was a feeling she'd have to get used to and she knew it.

As if he sensed the troubling turn her thoughts were taking, he pushed himself off the wall effortlessly and crossed the space between them. "I was not talking about myself." She'd known that, of course, but she still didn't think she deserved credit for what had essentially been his victory. It was not she who had laid out the Usurper, after all, and it certainly was not she who now sat atop the throne and brought order back to the chaos of a post-coup Meiji with admirable swiftness. So she said nothing.

"I'm going to give Sano his father's lands, and a title to go with them," he continued conversationally. "I think Megumi deserves one, too. Adjoining dukedoms, perhaps?" A small smirk played over his face, and she could not help but think that the expression, part residual danger from the outlaw he'd once been and part confident, quiet assurance from the prince he was, was devastatingly handsome. It tore at her heart, but she pretended it didn't, matching it with her best attempt at the same.

"Some people would say that to give that much land to a woman is to invite disaster." Truly, it did fly in the face of a number of customs, though the impending marriage would settle some of them, anyway.

"Frankly, I don't give a damn," Kenshin growled, and she was caught a bit off-guard by the strength of the conviction behind it. It was almost as if something else was playing out beneath the surface of this conversation, and she wasn't quite sure what it was. "I'm making both of them my advisors as well, but with they, Aoshi, and Saito, I'm still going to need one more."

"Well, while you're busy flying in the face of convention, why not Misao? She's a bit young, but…"

Kenshin sighed in frustration, and regarded her askance. "Misao has no head for politics, you know that. I know Sano doesn't, either, but he knows other things very well." That was true; he understood people on a level that neither of them could ever really get to, that much was certain. "No, I was thinking to give the job to you."

That got Kaoru's attention, and she started visibly. "Me? But I… I think we both know I'm unsuited to that sort of thing," she hedged. "Besides, there's still the Watchman to consider and I-"

"Forget being the Watchman, or a fletcher, or whatever you were thinking," Kenshin insisted in a low voice, and all of a sudden, he was in far too close a proximity, only for Kaoru it wasn't nearly close enough, because his face still hovered a few inches from hers and she really, really wanted those inches to disappear. _Stop! You know it doesn't work like that. You're a commoner, he's the Prince. _

"Yahiko can do it if you think someone must," he continued, regarding her through pensively-narrowed eyes. If their darkened color was anything to go by, he wanted that distance to close as much as she did, but something was stopping him as well. She figured he must have realized what she knew.

She went to shake her head, to refuse. She knew Yahiko was almost good enough to handle it, especially if he still consulted her on his training, but he was too young, and she felt like she needed this reason to keep those inches where they were, because if she didn't, they might disappear and make the impending heartbreak that much worse. He cut her off. "Kaoru, from the very beginning, whether I liked it or not, you have been there to challenge me, to check me when I was about to do something I shouldn't. Your counsel has been invaluable, and it was _you, _not I, who truly began this revolution. It was your will that carried the group of us to the point where we could succeed, and…" Kenshin seemed to hesitate, which was most unusual for him, but Kaoru was hanging on his every word, hoping against hope that she might hear something she had been hoping to hear for much longer than she cared to admit. But it didn't come. "Please," he implored, tone husky and raw, and she bit her lip.

"I don't know, Kenshin. I mean… I'd have to take a title or something, right? I'm not sure if I can handle that kind of responsibility." Frankly, she wasn't even sure why she was arguing anymore. It was not as though she thought she could deny him something he had asked so earnestly, not when it gave her what she wanted more than anything as well- the chance to be near him.

His chuckle was quiet, as though he were privy to a joke that she did not know. "Yes, Kaoru, you'd be taking a title, and yes, it would be an enormous responsibility. But I know for a fact that none could bear the duties of a princess or a queen better than you."

It took a couple of seconds for that to sink in, and Kenshin's smile only grew as her eyes lit with recognition. "I love you, Kaoru, and I'm asking you to marry me. The princess is ever the prince's most valued advisor, after all."

"But… I'm a commoner, Kenshin." Kaoru was elated, she really was, but there was still that rather large hurdle to overcome.

"And I don't care," he replied, a little too flippantly for the amount of trouble she was having with it. "Neither, as it turns out, does my uncle. He was so impressed with you that he practically demanded I ask you the moment the crown was back on his head."

Katsura… wanted her to? Kaoru could scarcely believe it. She could hardly bring herself to accept that this wasn't all some kind of foolish dream, but that didn't stop the radiant smile from lighting her entire face. "Well?" Kenshin prompted, but the look on his face assured her that he knew the answer.

"I don't know, _Your Highness, _are you sure you want me around to point out the flaws in all your plans? I seem to recall that you were not terribly fond of it before…"

Kenshin laughed again, a rolling baritone sound that she found she loved. "Oh, I'm sure," he replied lowly, and then he did her the favor of removing those scant inches, and kissed her.

* * *

_The second reign of King Katsura II was long and prosperous. Under his hand, the Crusade was called off, the kingdom restored to its former glory, and the people returned to happiness and contentment. When he felt that he had done all he could do, the king abdicated his throne, handing it over to his nephew Kenshin I. So began the Golden Age of Meiji, for under the king and his firebrand of a Queen, the nation was launched to new heights. _

_ Duke Aoshi Shinomori and his wife Duchess Misao served as the Seconds for the Royal couple for the entirety of their lives, and the children of the four and their old friends Duke Sanosuke Sagara and Duchess Megumi all grew up together, becoming the best of friends even as their parents had, save in more peaceful times._

_ Lord Yahiko Myojin was awarded the King's former personal holdings in Loxley, including the town of Nottinghamshire. Though the Watchman's wanderings became more widespread, never did he forget to serve the people of Nottingham as his predecessors had done, and even today the black arrow is a symbol not only of House Himura, but also of unerring justice in Meiji. _

_ The former Crown Prince Hiko returned to his forest, new apprentice in tow, and to this day, the legend of the forest-dweller persists in telling the tale of an immortal man who guides the lost from the forest of death. It is said that those who wander deep enough will encounter the man, and that he will tell them the true version of these events. That is why you sought me out, is it not? To hear my tale? _

_ Well, I daresay that now you have heard it in its entirety, just as it was passed to me from my predecessor, and we have now reached the edge of the forest. This path will take you into the capital city. Farewell, traveler, for we shall not meet again._

* * *

_A/N: And that, my friends, is the conclusion of _Hood. _I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I had fun writing it. If you are so inclined, please leave a review. This story may be over, but that doesn't mean I'm done writing, and I could really use the comments to help me along in my next project. Several of you have expressed interest in reading an A/K story from me, and the modern international spy AU seemed to be the most popular choice, so I've put up a teaser for it in my profile. I have no idea when I'll get around to writing it, but I will. _

_I can't believe it's been almost a year since I started writing Hood. But it has, and I want to thank those of you who've stuck with me from the beginning. You have no idea how uplifting it is to read reviews from people who have been around since the first chapter or TAoSaG and are still here! You guys seriously blow my mind with your awesomeness. I of course love all my reviewers and readers, but that is something truly incredible to me. Thanks to everyone who's been reading/reviewing, and I hope it was all worth it in the end. For now, I'll stop rambling, but unlike our forest-dwelling narrator, this need not be the last time we meet, eh?_

_~Kiku~_


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